'V— ^-, 



LIVES OF 

0UR Presidents 

\ CONTAINING AN ACCOUNT OF 

THE^ CHILDHOOD, EARLY EDUCATION, CHARACTERISTICS 

AND ACHIEVEMENTS OF ALL THE PRESIDENTS 

OF THE UNITED STATES 

INCLUDING 

■^ VhCDOTES. INCIDENTS AND PERSONAL TRAITS WHICH ENABLED 

THEM TO ATTAIN THE HIGHEST OFFICE IN THE GIFT OF 

THE PEOPLE, TOGETHER WITH A FULL ACCOUNT 

OF THEIR ADMINISTRATIONS 

By ELLA HINES STRATTON 

Author of "All the World Over: or, the Twins Abroad" 

''Lives of great tneri all remind us 
We can make our lives sublime." 

^ TO WHICH IS ADDED 

THE HISTORY OF OUR COUNTRY 

K R (J VI 1 T S 
DISCOVERY BY COLUMBUS DOWN to the PRESENT 1 IME 



Profusely Embellished with Phototype and Wood Engravings 



NATIONAL PUBLISHING CO, 

:i3!i TO 24.-; American Street 

PHILADELPHIA 



. \ 



TWF I mA^V OF 

Ct vGSESS, 
Two OopiM Aectrvt* 

FEB. 2C 1902 



fpHP-'W f T 6MTII. 

COPY a 



e^TERED ACeCRDIhO TC ACT OF CONGRESS. IK THE YEAR 1903, BV 

D. Z. MOWELL 

n> ^Ht OfFlCE Cf 1H£ LtBSARIAN OF CONGRESS. AT WASHiNCTON, 0. C. U. 8. A. 



X 



ELLA HINES STRATTOIN. 



'^pn^ author of this volume, Airs. Stratton, was boru iu Caribou 
Maine, wheu the beautiful Aroostook Valley (since called th. 
Garden- of New England) was little more than a vast wilderness. Sht 
is tL>- eldest of the three children of Joseph W. and Marcella (Hall 
llinei-, her mother being better known as " Flora Wildwood," anc 
.!:.. eiongs tea family of ready writers. She is emphatically J child 
of the people, who has taken a place, unaided, well up the ladder ol 
literar ' work. 



Sa^ has not only been the architect but the builder of her own sue 
ces«. Eer ancestors were among the first settlers of New Eno-land and 
love ufjustice, charity, and conscientiousness have been her iuher 
nance. In all the relation, of life she strives to be loval and true 
Her gnndfather, Winslow Hall, was among the few brave hearted men 
who fomded the " Liberty Party." Her great-grandfather, Enoch Hall 
fougr,tinder Washington in the Revolutionary War, was several time-^ 
.eni I, Boston as a member of the General Court when Maine was a 

framlTh^' J!^^'^^.^^"^^"'^" ^^ ^ ^^^er of the Convention which 
framedhe Constitution of Maine in 18x9-1830, and represented h's 

.Iow..,l Hall, a woman of rare intellectual abilit3', was a lineal 
,na "' !^"'"*^°" ^^^ °^t^i"-d at Presque Isle, Maine, Boston Mass 

f^^ t i:i^e7i b r' " ' ''^' ^'^" '^"^^^ ^^^^""^^^^ ^-- 

XS61 an wT r. ^'''"°"' '' ^^^ ^^^^ Maine Volunteers of 

i.Oi ail her home circle has her first care and thought 

•i' n. urged by her mother, she sent her first br«i...o^.-;. 470 



111 



ELLA HINES STRATTON. 



I 
I 



into Lae \vide world to seek a welcome in the already crowded Lath<; 
literature. That she underrated her own powers is proven bv (u^^ p-en 
nine surprise at her success. Since then she has contributed tL scv<^' 
papers and magazines under various " noms de plume," and ha/g enjoyed 
learing her work criticised, sometimes by near friends who dic\ not sus- 
pect the authorship. 

Her articles and stories have appeared in Portland Ti^^u script 
Daughters of America, Golden Daj-s, Youths' Companion, 1 Harper's 
^''oung People, Lothrope's magazines, and other leading periodica'.- 

Although prose is her forte she is represented in both . '' spl.cts .' 
\Liine" and "Poets of America." She edited the juvenile departjment of 
he Geographical News until it was combined with the Geogrlaphical 
^lagazine. Her first book, " All the World Over," contains ab(jiut 600 
saees, and treats accuratelv of everv countrv known to travell 
)eople, climate, products, and animals. 

She is careful in selecting and comparing authorities, has ways of 
)btaining information not in print, and her books may be accepted as 
•eliable. j 

Her most earnest wish is that the}' may interest the childrev. of 
he United States of America, those who are to become the guarclians of 
)ur great nation. 

That they may incite the rising generation to a thorough s .♦ .._, < i" 
he biography and history, the successes and failures of the past, 
hey may be the better prepared to perform the duties whicl 
hem- 



so that 
I await 



/ 



"X 



CONTENTS. 

GEORGE WASHINGTON ,_ 

JOHN ADAMS 22 

THOMAS JEFFERSON 

JAMES .AIADISON 

JAMES MONROE 

JOHN QUINCY ADAMS gg 

ANDREW JACKSON gg 

MARTIN VAN BUREN _ „g 

WILLIAM HENRY HARRISON ' " L 

JOHN TYLER : 'Z^.... 86 

JAMES K. POLK.. r:r:Tr7r^ „^ 

00 

ZACHARY TAYLOR 

MILLARD FILLMORE ^^ 

FRANKLIN PIERCE. ....^____-^^.________^__^^ ^^^ 

JA!-i=-q BUCHANAN "....... ,'06 

ABRAHAM LliNLOLN .^.^,.^frr7Z ^^.' 

ANDREW JOHNSON ....>,rrrrTrrr'!^7TZ.... 

ULYSSES S. GRANT ..'"'. "^ 

RUTHERFORD B. HAYES '^^ 

JAMES A. GARFIELD 

CHESTER A. ARTHUR '"^^ 

GROVER CLEVELAND '"^^ 

BENJAMIN HARRISON Z'' "- '^^ 

WILLIAM McKINLEY '••■••••-■ ,52 

THEODORE ROOSEVELT '^^ 

THE STORY OF PORTO RICO. HAwXliyPHILIPPINESAND CUBa'" !-' 
THE HISTORY OF OUR COUNTRY ^^UBA... ,,i 

EARLY ADVENTURES IN NORTH AMERICA '^^ 

STORY OF CAPTAIN JOHN SMITH AND POCAHONTAS IT, 

THE FRENCH AND INDIAN WAR ^^ 

THE AMERICAN REVOLUTION ^'"^ 

FROM THE RIAOLUTION TO THe'cVvil w^r '"' 

THE GREAT CIVIL WAR 40i 

tM 



FROM THE CIVIL WAR DOWN TO THe' PRESENT TI ^'' 



FECIAL .;; '*''° 

ill 



LIST OF ILLUSTRATIONS. 



George Washington 17 

Vashington Planting the Flag on 
Fort Duquesne 19 

Medal in Honor of the Recap- 
ture of Boston 20 

ousE Where Washington Lived 

in Philadelphia 20 

Signing the Declaration of Inde- 
pendence 21 

The Declaration of Independence 
Read to the Army 23 

Inauguration of Washington 25 

Washington's Home at Mt. Ver- 
non 26 

Washington Crossing the Dela- 
ware 27 

Washington's Quarters at Mor- 

RISTOWN 29 

Continental Bili^ 30 

Vv'ashington's Tomb at Mt. Vernon 3 1 

John Adams 33 

Election Scene in Philadelphia 

IN 1816 35 

Carpenter's Hall, Philadelphia... 39 

S :ene IN Florida 42 

Thomas Jefferson 46 

Signatures of the Signers of the 

Declaration of Independence... 47 
1 iousE IN Which the Declaration 

was Written 50 

S''eaker's Chair and De.sk in Inde- 
pendence Hall 51 

Old Liberty Bell 52 

Statue of Jefferson at Washing- 
ton c^ 



James Madison 55 

Indian Child in Cradle 56 

Indian Amusements 57 

Massacre by Indians at Fort Dear- 
born 53 

J AMES Monroe 59 

Fourth of July Celebration in 

1812 61 

First Settlement of New York... 63 

John Quincy Adams 66 

Town Ckier Calling i he Hour at 

Night 63 

Andrew Jackson 61) 

Settler's Cabin 70 

Southern Plantation 7 

Osceola, Chief of the Semlnoles 7; 

Seal of the United States 7>. 

Independence Hall 7, 

Steamboat Loading with Cotfon... y!i 

Gener.\l Anthony Wayne 80 

National Capitol at Washington 82 
United States Mint at Philadel- 
phia 85 

John Tyler 87 

Interior of Independence Hall . 80 

James K. Polk 91 

Smithsonian Institution, Washing- 
ton, D. C 92 

Zachary Taylor 96 

Indian Life in their Native For- 
es is 9 

Capture of a Battery a r M in ierey 9^ , 

Batile of Buena Vista 100 

Millard Fillmore loi 

Scene in the Allegheny Mountains 10^ 

V 



LIST OF ILLUSTRATIONS. 



I'K AN KLIN Pi ERCE 

VV^HiTE House, Washington, D. C. 

James Buchanan 

Indians Watching a Train Crossing 
THE Mountains 

Bridge over Susquehanna River.. 

Abraham Lincoln 

Refreshment Saloon, Philadel- 
phia, i86i 

The Peace Commission 

Assassination of Presi dent Lincoln 

Grave of President Lincoln 

Lincoln Monument in Fairmount 
Park 

Andrew Johnson 

Ulysses S. Grant 

Birthplace of General Grant 

Grant's Boyhood Days in Ohio 

Grant Going for Ammunition at 
Monterey 

House where Grant was Married 

The Old Cottage when Times 
were Hard 

(jkant's Headquarters near Fort 
Donaldson 

Grant Writing Despatches 

Mrs. U. S. Grant 

CiOTTAGE IN WHICH GrANT DieD 

Futherford B. Hayes. 

EPARTMENT OF StATE, WASHINGTON 

J iMES A. Garfield 
I 



arfield Homestead, Ohio 

/Assassination of President Gar- 
field 

I'eath-Bed of Garfield 

Mrs. Lucretia R. Garfield 

C HESTER A. Arthur 

Bird's-EyeView of New York City 

Crover Cleveland 

Cleveland Taking Oath of Office 
Mrs. Cleveland •■■ 



07 
08 
10 

1 1 
13 
17 

18 

19 

22 

23 

24 
25 
29 

30 
31 

32 

33 

33 

34 
35 
36 
37 
38 
39 
43 
44 



46 

47 
48 

49 

SO 
53 
54 

55 

Special 



Benjamin Harrison 156 

U. S. Postoffice Building, Phila- 
delphia I ,3 

William McKinlev i 3 

Theodore Roosevelt 16S 

Map OF THE Philippine Islands 175 

Street Scene in Manila i;8 

Admiral George Dewey 179 

Uniform of United States Of- 
ficers 1^0 

Christopher Columbus i;-/ 

Columbus Quelling Mutiny on His 

Ship 189 

Landing of Columbus at San Sal- 
vador 191 

Columbus Receiving Natives on 

His Ship 105 

Reception of Columbus by Ferdi- 
nand AND Isabella 206 

Columbus at the Monastery of La 

RaHIDA 2'2 

Indian Weapons 2- ^ 

N AT I V HS ASTO N I S H ED B Y TH E FX L I PSE 

OF THE Sun 2 i ; 

Sebastian Cabot 25 

The Coast OF Florida 2,7 

Fernando De Soto 2^S 

Sir Martin Frobisher 2 ' 

Captain John Smith 2; 

Pocahontas Interceding for Cap- 
tain Smith 242 

Pocahontas 24.1 

Building the First House 'in 

Jamf-stown 2-, 

Types of North American Indians i- . 
French Explorers Burying Leaden 

Plates 23; 

The Half King 2f^ 

Will's Creek Narrows, Maryland 2; 
Disastrous Defe.\t of General 

Bkaddock 276 



LIST OF ILI.USTRATIONS. 



Vll 



281 
288 
294 

295 

296 
300 
310 



BURI ING OF KlTTANNING BY GkN- 

Ei- al Armstrong 

PAI.1-ADES OF THE Hudson 

Wu.'iAM Pitt 

Sit.'- of Fort William Henry on 

Lake George 

"> ■ WAL of Indian Allies at the 

. ENCH Camp 

MON rCALM 

Ni A' . \RA Falls 

General James Wolfe 3" 

Dea h of General Wolfe, Quebec 3 1 5 
King George III 3i6 

A ^ ISIT OF PONTIAC AND THE In- 

,NS TO Major Gladwin 321 

Samuel Adams 3-7 

Hanging a Stamp Act Official in 

, Effigy 32° 

Thk wing the Tea Overboard in 

B' 5TON Harbor 329 

Bat-, le of Lexington, April 19, 

ir'5 331 

Death of Isaac Davis 334 

Geniral Israel Putnam 335 

Batjle of Bunker Hill 34° 

Dea:h of Major Pitcairn 343 

Sekueant Jasper at Fort Moul- 

tfe 348 

Gen RAL Nathaniel Greene 352 

GeniRAl John Sullivan* 353 

Ben:amin Franklin 35^ 

Geni RAL Charles Lee 359 

Was.iington Calls on Colonel 

R HL 362 

The Marquis de Lafayette 365 

Arrest of General Prescott at 

iV avport, Rhode Island 368 

I.af^-.yette and Washington 369 

ViEV. of Valley Forge, Washing- 

T. >i's Heauquakters 374 



Washington's Headquarters at 

Valley Fokge 375 

General Burgoyne Addressing the 

Indians 37° 

Herkimer Mortally Wounded 377 

General Benjamin Lincoln 381 

Cavalry Charge of Count Pulaski 383 

John Paul Jones 3^5 

Lord Cornwallis 3^7 

"Now Put Watts into Them, Boys" 389 

Benedict Arnold 39 • 

Escape of Benedict Arnold 394 

Major Andre 395 

Surrender of Lord Coknwallis. 399 
Officers of the Chesapeake Sur- 
rendering their Swords 405 

The " Wasp " Boarding the 

"Frolic" 4o8 

Perry's ViCTORy on Lake Erie 412 

Pakenham Leading the Attack 

ON New Orleans 4H 

Henry Clay 4' 7 

Daniel Webster 4'8 

John C. Calhoun 4' 9 

Professor Morse 420 

Santa Anna 423 

Post Office, New York, in 1878.. 425 
Hydraulic Mining in California.. 426 

Stephen A. Douglas 427 

Charles Sumner 428 

Mormon Hand Cart Company 

Crossing the Plains 429 

Mountain Meadow Massacre 430 

Robert Toombs 433 

Major Anderson 434 

Fort Moultrie, Charleston Har- 
bor 435 

Jefferson Davis 43^ 

Inauguration of Jefferson Davis 
AT Richmond, Va 437 



Special. 



\nii 



LIST OF ILLUSTRATIONS. 



44; 



Arrest of Mason and Slidell on 

THE British Steamer -Trent •. . . 440 
Isi_\ND No. id. 

Charge of the Federals at Co- 
rinth 

General George R McClellan ... 446 

Ge.\er.\l T. J. J.^cRsox 44S 

General Robert E- Lee. 450 

-McClellan at the Battle of 

Antietam 451 

General George G. Me.\de. 453 

Gexer.\l J. E. B. Stewart 454 



bHERIDANS CaV.U-RV ChARGE .AT 

Cedar Creek 

M.AJOrGeN.J. M. SCHOFIELD 

Commodore David C. Fakr.\glt ... 465 

Gener.al James B. M.\cPherso.n 46^1 

SiSKixG of the '• Alabama " by the 

" Ke.\rs.age " ,. 

L-AST Cavalry Charge of the 

^^AR 46S 

Bcrning of Chicago < rj 

Hor.\ce Greeley ^^^ ^ 

Memorial H.\ll, Philadelphia...... 476 






General John C. Pemberton 455 View of Centenni.\l Fochibition.... 477 

" "' Indians Surprised AND Defe.\ted... 479 



The Capture of Lookolt Moun 
TAIN 456 



Thom.as F. Bavard. 



General J.XMES Longstreet 457 J.\mes G. Bl.\ine. 

Attack on Fort Sumter by the 



483 

486 

John A. Logan 48^ 

Monitor Fleet 45S I Levi P. Morton 488 

Gener.\l \Vm. T. Sherm.\n 459 G.xrrett A. Hob.\rt 489 

Battle OF Cold H.\rbor 460 Gener.\l Nelson A. Miles. 496 

SPECI.U> 






GEORGE WASHINGTON. 




c 



'HARLIE NELSON sat by tlie window, 
with a dissatisfied frown, watching what 
was going on out of doors with eager, tearful 
eves. Every one in the whole town was cele- 
brating Washington's birthday except him, he 
thought bitterly. 

" O, what made me have the measles just 
in time not to get well before this?" he wailed. "O dear. What a 
good time they are all having. Dear me And I know the coasting 
is as good as can be. O — dear — 
me." 

" What a dismal face for a 
boy to liave — when he is get- 
ting rid of the measles so 
nicely, too," laughed IMamma 
Nelson, taking the sorrowful, 
boyish face between her two 
loving hands, with a tender 
kiss. "Shall I tell you a story, 
Charlie?" 

"A story, mamma?" ex- 
claimed Charlie, brightening 
up a bit, for Mamma Nelson's 
stories were sure to be good 
ones. "What is it about?" 

"About George Washing- George Washington. 

ton, first President of these United States. It is his birthday, 3'ou know." 
The dissatisfied frown returned, darker than at first. 

"No, I don't want that," he said impatiently. "I've heard about 
2 17 




18 GEORGE WASHINGTON. 

him ever since I can remember. I know the stor\- of the little hatchet 
all by heart — and I wish George Washington never had had any 
hatchet. I know how he rode that colt to death — the one that hij 
mother liked so well — and his mother didn't even scold him because ht 
never told a lie. O, I know all about George Washington now, and I 
don't believe half folks say about him." 

"Are you sure that you know all about him?" smiled Mamm.i 
Nelson. " Then tell me where he was born ? " 

" Why — in Virginia, of course." 

** Yes, but in what part ? " 

" Wh3'-e-e, where his father lived, I suppose." 

" Where was that ? " 

"I-I don't exacth' know." 

*' Where was his father bom ? " 

" Well,— I don't know that either." 

'* Who was his mother ? " 

" I-I guess that is something else that I don't know." Charlie's face 
was very red, for he did not like to own that he did not know things. 

" I thought that there were some things that 3-ou could leam about 
the little babe that was bom at the old Washington homestead, at 
Pope's Creek, \'a., February 22, 1732." 

BORN IN ONE OF THE FIRST HOUSES BUILT IN VIRGINIA. 

" What an awful long time ago. Is he as old as that ? " Charlie 
made a mental calculation and forgot an item of histon,- in his surprise. 

" Ah, so you did not know that he died at Mount Vemon, December 
14, 1799, and was buried in the brick vault on the estate more than a 
hundred years ago ? O, Charlie. I thought that you knew it all." 

" ^\'hat kind of a house was he bom in?" asked Charlie, in confusion 

"In one of the first houses ever built in Virginia. Mam' miles 
of the blue Potomac could be seen from its windows, as well as the 
snnnv shores of Man.'land upon the opposite side of the river. The 
joof was very steep, with low, projecting eaves, and there was an 



1 




WASHINGTON PLANTING THE FLAG ON FORT DUQUESNE. 19 



20 



GEORGE WASHINGTON. 




immense cliimney at each end. There were four large rooms on the 

ground floor, besides the pleasant chambers, and the house \\as 

surrounded by well 

kept grounds." 
"I should like 

to see it mamma — 

it would be almost 

like seeing Wash- 
ington, wouldn't 

it?" 

" Not exactly, 

I think, but it 

might make him 

seem more real, " 

said Nettie, who medal in honor of the recapture of boston. 

came in to hear the story. "Is the house still there, mamma?" 

"Nothing remains of it, but a stone marks the site where it stood. 

Two or three dj-ing 
fig-trees ; a few 
shrubs, with here 
and there a hardy 
flower which grass 
and weeds cannot 
kill ; these are all 
that remain to 
show where a 
lovely, fruitful 
earden was once. 
Perhaps even 

HOUi^E WllKRE WASHINGTON LIVED IN PHILADELPHIA. theSC are gOUe 

now, but they were there when your father visited the place a few 

years ago. " 

" You have not told us about his father and mother, " said Charlie. 





SIGNING THE DECLARATION OF INDEPENDENCE. 



22 GEORGE WASHINGTON. 

" And how many brothers and sisters did he have ? " asked Nettie. 

"One question at a time, please," laughed Mamma Nelson. "His 
father, Augustine Washington, was married twice. George had two 
half brothers older than he was, while three brothers and two sisters were 
younger. One sister died when a little baby, the other, Betty, always 
idolized her famous brother. I have heard that Washington was haughty 
and proud, although he was the beloved ' Father of his country. ' He 
had reason to be, if blue blood gives one that right, for the genealogy of 
his family dates back — nearly to the conquest. No doubt some of the 
race fought in that. " 

"Did every one fight in old times, mamma?" queried Charlie. 

WASHINGTON'S ANCESTORS AND THE FEUDAL LAWS. 

" In those olden days, my son, under the old feudal laws, a man's 
castle was only his own so long as he could defend it and hold it by the 
strength of his strong right arm. Bishops were appointed over prov- 
inces, and the3% in turn, appointed favorite knights to rule over the 
villages in their territory. These knights were expected to be always 
ready to follow the banners of the bishops when unfurled in war." 

" What has all this to do with Washington, mamma?" asked Nettie. 

" I will tell you. One of these knights, William De Hertburu, 
governed a village on the banks of the Tees, probably the one which is 
now called Hartburu. He was the first of the Washington family 
that we have a record of Later he ruled the village of Wessyngton, and 
the family name became Wessyngton. Next, in the list of loyal knights 
who fought for their ill-fated king at Lewes, in 1264, we find the name 
of William Weshington. About 1450 the name was .spelled Wassing- 
ton, later it became Was.shingtou, and finally Washington. The more 
direct ancestors of our Washington were the brothers John and Andrew,} 
who came to Virginia in 1657, and purchased large tracts of land in 
Westmoreland County between the Potomac and Rappahanock Rivers. 
John, as Colonel, led the forces of Virginia in the war with the Seneca 
Indians." 




THE DECLARATION OF INDEPENDENCE READ TO THE ARMY. 23 






24 GRORGE WASHINGTON. 

"It seems as if tlie Wasliingtons were all fighters,'' mused Nettie. 

"They were all brave and fearless meu, and when tlie need came 
they were warriors. They followed the banner of St. Cuthbert to the 
Holy War ; they invaded Scotland with Edward the I, and followed the 
standard of Queen Philippa. Later we find that James Washington 
lost his life fighting for King Charles at the siege of Pontefract Castle, 
and read of gallant Henry Washington, who served under Prince Rupert, 
at the Storming of Bristol, in 1643.'' 

BRAVERY OF WASHINGTON. 

"How brave they all were. I don't blame Washington for being a 
little proud," declared Charlie. 

" Bravery is not all, my son," said Mamma Nelson, gently. " Those 
who have borne the name have been honorable men, and gentle, yet fear- 
less women. It is the faithful discharge of duty which brings honor 
and trust ; always remember that, my children. Hereditary rank is much 
less than hereditary virtue." 

" Can you tell us who George Washington's mother was ? " asked 
Nettie. 

" Her maiden name was Mary Ball, and it may be that Washington 
owed his character to her as much as to his illustrious paternal ancestors, 
after all. She was a beautiful girl at the time of her marriage — she 
became a woman of strong character, devoted to her famil}^, and she 
exacted implicit obedience from her children at all times. After her 
husband died, when George was twelve years old, she directed the educa- 
tion of their children, and not least of her useful lessons were those of 
self-denial and self-control." 

" Did Washington ever go to college? " asked Charlie. 

" No, his education was very limited. One of his father's tenants 
gave him his first lessons in reading, writing, and arithmetic. He was 
so very neat about his books that some of them, in manuscript, are still 
treasured at Mount Vernon, as models of neatness and accuracy. When 
only thirteen years old, he wrote a code of rules by which his whole life 




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THE INAUGURATION OF WASHINGTON. 



26 



GEORGE WASHINGTON. 



was governed. He wanted to enter the naval service, but finalh' fitted 
himself for land surveying. 

As a child, he had a great liking for military life, and delighted in 
organizing his playmates into companies for drilling. When nineteen 
years old lie was Major and acting Adiutant of the Provincial troops. 




WASHINGTON'S HOME AT MOUNT VERNON. 

Three years later he led his men against the French, at Fort Duquesne 
—now Pittsbnrg. The next year, when with General Braddock at 
Alonongahela, he had three horses shot under him, and several bullet 
holes through his coat, but escaped unharmed. The Indians believed 
that he bore a charmed life and could not be killed. He was Commander 
of the Virginia troops in 1774, and represented that State in the Con- 




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27 



28 GEORGE WASHINGTON. 

vention at Philadelphia the next j'ear. At the beginning of the Revo- 
lution he was chosen Commander-in-chief, and served without any pay 
except his actual expenses. 

It is said that Frederick the Great once sent his portrait to Wash- 
ington, with these remarkable words: "From the oldest General in 
"Europe to the greatest General in the world." 

HIS COMMANDING APPEARANCE. 

" Papa says that General Washington was a very stern man," said 
Nettie. 

"And aristocratic and vain," added Charlie. 

" When he was at the head of the nation it was said of him that he 
was more solid than brilliant, and had more judgment than genius. As 
a President he weighed his decisions carefull}-, but, his policy- once set- 
tled, he held to it with steadiness and dignit}'^, in spite of all opposition. 
As an officer, he was brave and cautious ; his campaigns were rarel}' start- 
ling but always judicious. 

He was calm in defeat, sober in victory, commanding at all times, 
and irresistible when aroused ; but he exercised equal authorit}' over 
himself and over his army." 

" Why, if he was all that, he was an angel," cried Nettie incredu- 
lousl}'. 

"In biographical stud\' we must alwaj's make some allowance, my 
dear," smiled ]\Iamma Nelson. " George Washington was a man and a 
statesman ; not a saint, as some of his admirers think. He was almost a 
giant in stature, being six feet and two inches tall and as straight as an 
Indian." 

"Was he vain ? Well, he was verj' particular about his dress at all 
times. We often read of him as being dressed in velvet, with satin coat 
linines. When he was married he wore a blue broad-cloth suit, the coat 
of which was lined with red silk, and ornamented with silver ; his waist- 
coat was white satin, heavil}- embroidered ; he wore gold knee and shoe 
buckles, and his hair was powdered." 



GEORGE WASHINGTON. 



29 



" But, witli all his love of finery and good living, lie refused to be 
made King of America." 

" I guess I know more about George Wasbington tban I ever did 
before," nodded Nettie. 

" But if be was so sober and cross as I tbink be was I'm glad tbat 
I wasn't bis bo}-," said Cbarlie. 

" He was not sober and cross I am very sure. He was always very 




WASHINGTON'S QUARTERS AT MORRISTOWN. 

basbful witb strangers, but be liked to ride and bunt, and always spent 
bis evenings witb bis family, cracking jokes and nuts togetber. But 
be never bad a cbild of bis own, altliougb bis wife bad two cbildren 
wbom be loved dearly, and wben tbey died, be adopted two of tbeir 
cbildren as bis own. He owned hundreds of slaves, but be was a kind 
master, and very tbougbtful of tbeir comfort." 

"Did be bave slaves? I am sorry," mused Nettie. 



30 



GEORGE WASHINGTON. 



*' He lived in a different time from ours, my dear. He was fitted 
fol his life-work, and lie did it well. His slaves were all freed by his will." 

"Do you know who his wife was, mamma ? " asked Charlie. 

" Her name was Martha Dandridge, and she was the daughter of 
Colonel John Dandridge, a planter who lived in New Kent County, in 
Virginia. She was about Washington's age, being born in 1732, and 
she died at Mount Vernon nearl}' three years after he did. When quite 







;i^nimtc^f Cornel 

Six :Z)OX:t*Ai^. 

s^^^^gg*. -T^ HIS Bill entitles tlw 

y^y"^ 4^> x?i^ SIX SPANISH MlLLtD 
//J ^^\''" _ 

a Resolution 
GRESS tinlUilUt Phi 
ladelpha Ww ^-i/^C' 

SIX DOLLARS g^ C^<»Hy^^ 7' 





CONTINEMTAL BILLS. 

young she married Daniel Park Custis, a wealth}- planter. He died 
in about eight 3-ears, leaving his wife one of the richest women in 
A'irginia. She had four children, two of whom died before she saw 
Washington. It is said that their wedding was one of the finest ever 
seen in Virginia. I have told j-ou how Washington was dressed. His 
wife wore a white silk quilted petticoat, with a heavily corded white 
silk over-dress, also diamond buckles and pearls. But, although she 
dressed so nicel}' and lived in style, she was very patriotic, and during 
the Revolution she wore garments which were spun and woven by her 
servants, as an example of economy to the women of the countr}-. I 
declare, the boys have a companj' of soldiers, and — yes, they are 
inarching in at our gate." 



GEORGE WASHINGTON. 



31 



" Halt," commanded Captain Hadley Ames, as he drew liis company 
up before tlie window where Charlie was sitting. "I say, Charlie, we 
can't come into the house, you know, the folks at home woi^ldn't like it." 




WASHINGTON'S TOMB AT MOUNT VERNON. 

'And you wouldn't like it either — the measles I mean," interrupted 
Charlie. " It is just awful." 

"Is' pose it is — I don't want to know," laughed Captain Hadley. 
"But we've brought 3'ou some candy and nuts and a picture of George 
Washington to hang in your room. We'll lay them on the steps — tell 
your mother to get them. All the boys have them, the pictures I mean 



32 GEORGE WASHINGTON. 

and we are going to get our mothers to tell us all about Washington 
to-night. I don't half know about him, do you? 

"I know more than I did when I thought that I knew it all,'' 
laughed Charlie. 

" Well, we hope you'll like it — the candy and stuff, I mean," said 
Captain Hadle}-. "Rightabout. Forward. March." 

And away marched Captain Ames and his compau}-, just as Captain 
Washington had marched with his company, years before. 

^A/ASHINGTON CANNOT BE FORGOTTEN. 

"We know our story first, don't we, mamma?" asked Charlie, as he 
looked his presents over." Do you suppose their mothers can tell them 
all that j-ou have told us?" 

" Ver}' likeh' the}' can tell it better," answered Mamma Nelson. "I 
have told you very little of Washington's life after all. You must study 
for yourself. Read the biographies of great men, and you will see that 
success never comes b}^ chance, nor are men called to important posi- 
tions until they prove themselves worth}^ of the trust." 

"There is no danger that people will forget George Washington," 
said Nettie. 

"No. Ma}' 15, 1897, a bronze monument, in his memory, was 
unveiled in Philadelphia. The city was gay with flags and bunting, and 
the monument was unveiled by President McKinley." 

"I'm sorry the story is done — when shall we know as much as you 
do, mamma ?" sighed Charlie. 

"When you learn it, nothing comes by chance. You must work for 
knowledge, but the work will be pleasant. Try it, my children." 

" I am sure that we shall — now," answered Nettie. 



JOHN ADAMS. 



CHARLIE gained so rapidl}- that before the week had passed he 
sat in an easy chair upon the sunny veranda one bright morning, 
as happ}' as a king upon his throne. Nettie sat upon the step near by, 
ready to do his bidding, while Mamma Nelson often looked up from her 

sewing to smile at his happiness. 

"Now, if Had were only here — 
and the rest of 'em,'' he sighed; and 
at that moment Hadley was seeu 
coming down the street. 

"Just like the Arabian Nights 
stories — make a wish, and get it," 
laughed Nettie. 

"Hello, Charlie, you out?" 
shouted Hadle}', stopping at the gate. 

"Hello, and I'm out," Charlie 
called back, in a happ}', trembling 
voice. "Come in, will vou ? " 

"I guess I can, 'long's you're 
fumigated — the house, I mean," 
laughed Hadley, as he took a seat 

JOHN ADAMS. .-i . , j l, • 1 j 

■' upon the step, clasped his hands 

around his knees, and nodded brightly at Charlie. " I say, old fellow, it 
seems good to see you." 

"Does it? I'm glad you missed me. But here come Bennie and 
Ray. Come right in, I can't give 'em now — the doctor said so," and 
Charlie's eyes seconded his words of welcome. 

"We know it — he told us," Ray answered for both. 

Then there was an expressive silence. Charlie was too happj' to 
3 33 




34 JOHN ADAMS. 

talk much, and the others did not know what to say. At last Charlie 
remembered something he had been thinking about since he saw them. 

"I say, boys, did you hear all about Washington that night?" he 
asked eagerly. 

"No, my mother went up to Aunt Jane's, and she has not had time 
to tell me yet, but she will — sometime," answered Hadley. 

"Aren't you in an awful hurry to hear it ? " cried Charlie. 

YOUNG PEOPLE SHOULD KNOW OUR HISTORY. 

" Well, no, I don't know as I am. I don't like history very well, and 
it don't seem as if those folks, the Presidents and Generals, and — and 
the rest of the ones that they talk about, }'ou know — it don't seem as if 
they ever were really and trul}"- anybody, so I don't care much if I never 
hear the story of Washington." 

" Pho, I'd like to know who does care about it," cried Bennie 
Small. " I have to read more than I want to about the old fogies in 
history when I go to school. I don't believe that they ever were alive." 

"I don't, either," asserted Ray Brown. 

"You would if my mamma told you the story," declared Charlie, 
with a loving glance at Mamma Nelson. "She says that we boys 
ought to know all about the history of our country, and what kind of 
men have helped to govern it. If we never become President, we want 
to vote rightly, 3'ou know. O, mamma, can I tell them now ? What is 
the use of waiting, when I am getting well so fast ? " 

Mamma Nelson smiled at the eager, curious faces, then she nodded. 
" Charlie and Nettie have a plan which I think you will like," she said. 

" Yes, boys. Will you do it ? " cried Charlie. 

" And bring Josie and Ruthie and Katie with 30U, for mamma 
says that it is just as important for girls to know as it is for boys," 
exclaimed Nettie. " She says that if wonen do not vote, they ought 
to understand these things." 

"So the}'' can tell history stories," nodded Charlie; then he added, 
impatiently, " Will you do it, boys ? " 



36 JOHN ADAMS. 

" Perhaps. We can tell better when we kuow what it is," suggested 
Hadle}', cautiously. 

"Of course — but I'm so glad, and — and everj-thing, that it seems 
AS if I couldn't exactly think straight. Well, when mamma told us the 
stor}' of Washington, it seemed as if I knew him — it just did — she 
made it so plain. Nettie and I could talk of nothing else, and so 
she said '• 

" No, no, Charlie, 5-011 and Nettie must have the credit of the plan, 
for 3-011 thought of it first," interrupted Mamma Nelson. 

"I guess we all thought of it together — anyway- we talked about it, 
didn't we ? Well, we are going to have a club, just as men do, and 
women, too — that is, if you fellows want to." 

" How can we tell until we know ? " questioned Hadley. 

LIKE ALL OTHER BOYS. 

" You shall know at once, my friend. It is this. We will meet at 
our house once a week, and mamma will tell us the story of the 
Presidents — now do you want to ? " 

The boys looked at each other in questioning silence. In fact they 
hardly understood what thej- ought to say. Charlie watched anxiously-. 

"I guess you don't know what mamma's stories are,'' he said in a 
disappointed way — he had hoped that they would be so pleased. 

"We cannot learn as much about them as we would like to," said 
Mamma Nelson. '' Biographers do not say much about the boyhood of 
great men, and that is what we want to know most, isn't it? " 

"Yes, that is what I would like to hear about. Perhaps they never 
had an}' boyhood. Grandfather saA-s that he never did — he had to 
work so," said Ray. 

" The}' often began life's duties earlier than boys now do." 
Mamma Nelson went on. " But I think that they were boys like you. 
They liked to play ball, skate and swim, just as you do." 

"It don't seem so when you read about them in history," mused 
Beuuie. 



JOHN ADAMS 37 

" Wh}^, if we could think that the}^ were ever boys like us — why, 
of course we'd like to hear all about them," declared Ra}^ 

"I'd like to hear about them anyway," piped a voice from bej'ond 
the garden hedge. The boys started and looked in that direction 

Soon a small freckled face, with two eager blue eyes, appeared 
above the hedge. 

"I didn't mean to speak out so, ma'am," the voice went on. "I 
couldn't help hearing, I just came to see if I could get a squint at 
Charlie. I've been here 'most ever}' da}^, and when the window was open 
a bit I could hear the stories j-ou told him — I didn't mean no harm." 

JAKE JOINS THE CLASS. 

"It's Jake Lewis, mamma," whispered Charlie. "He hasn't any 
mother, and his father — 3-ou know." 

" Mamma Nelson nodded, and Jake found courage to add : 

"I heard j^ou talking about Washington, ma'am, and telling it all 
so beautiful and plain, and then I wished — but I don't suppose that J. 
could " 

Charlie looked at !Mamma Nelson inquiringl}-, then he looked at the 
boys and smiled. 

"Of course 3'ou can, Jake," he said, decidedly. " Come right in. 
We can't begin to-da}', for the girls are not here, but a week from this 
afternoon mamma will tell the stor}- of Washington over again — isn't it 
so, mamma ? — then we can go right along with the rest of the Presi- 
dents. I shall be all well by that time. You tell him that we want him, 
mamma." 

" I think that he understands that there is a place for him," smiled 
Mamma Nelson. 

"A big place too, Jake," added Hadlej-, heartily. " I wonder that 
we did not think of j-ou before, you like histor}- so well, but " 

"I know — I couldn't go to school any more; perhaps I never can go 
again," murmured Jake, in a half defiant tone, as he crept through the 
Ledge, and took a seat near Charlie. " He's given me books to read, and 



38 ■ ■ JOHN ADAMS. 

helped me lots,'' he added, jerking his thumb towards the sick boy, who 
was blushing beneath his mother's approving eyes. 

1 "And we'll help you, all of us, only we didn't think of it before," 

said Bennie. 

" If we have a club we must have a President," said Mamma 
Nelson. 

" I move that Mamma Nelson be our President," shouted Hadlej'. 

'' Second that motion," echoed a chorus of voices. 

" I thousfht that I was to be the storv teller," said Mamma Nelson. 

" So j'ou are, but you'll have to be almost everj-thing, for we don't 
know much," returned Bennie. 

*' Well, we will begin that way- In fact, I think that this is but the 
small beginning of a great ending. I am quite sure that you will like 
the stor}' of the Presidents so well that you will become a historj- club, 
but we will not talk of that j'et. We shall have to work, each one must 
learn all that is possible of each President in turn, and be able to tell it 
to the others at each meeting. Will you do this ?" 

WILLING TO HEAR IT A DOZEN TIMES. 

"I am sure we will do the best that we can, ma'am," said Jake- 

earnestly. 

'' And now that we are organized as a club, I think that we will go 
over the story of Washington to-day, if Hadlej- and Bennie, aud Ray 
will go home and fetch the girls," said Mamma Nelson. 

" O really, mamma,'' cried Charlie in pleased surprise. " Hurr^- 

boys." 

"Of course we will, if Charlie isn't too tired," said Ray. 

"I couldn't be too tired to hear that a dozen times, as mamma tells 
it," returned Charlie. 

In h.alf an hour ihey were all assembled, and eager to begin. 

*' Now, mamma, tell them the storj- of Washington, please," said 
Nettie, eagerly ; and Mamma Nelson told it to them as she told it to 
Charlie and Nettie, while they were celebrating \\'ashington's birthday. 



JOHN ADAMS. 



39 



"I never thought mucli about him before," said Hadley, thought- 
fully, after che stor}- was briefly told, " but I shall after this." 

"You uever said what he looked like," began Jake, eagerl3\ " I've 
heard that his hair was red, and his face was all marked up with small- 
pox. Was it so, ma'am ? " 

''Partly so," replied Mamma Nelson. "His face was very fair, and 
slightly pitted bj' small-pox. His nose was rather large; so was his 
mouth. His eyes were a blueish gray, and his hair was brown with a 
reddish tinge. His hands and feet were ver}^ large, and he weighed two 
hundred and ten 
pounds." 

"Thank 
you, m a' a m. 
Now we can 
almost hear him 
speak when we 
look at his pic- 
ture," said Jake, 
soberly. 

"Yes, we'll 
be sure to think 
more about him, 
now " said Rav. carpenter's hall, Philadelphia. 

" So say we all of us," cried Bennie. " It seems different to hear it 
told than it does to read it out of those dry, old histories." 

" It seems more real, a-ou mean," nodded Katie. 

" Yet, if it were not for the histories we should not know it to tell," 
answered Mamma Nelson. "Disagreeable things are necessary some- 
times, and we should never shirk, whether we like a thing or not." 

Jake said no more ; he stole away into a corner alone, and no one 
except Mamma Nelson noticed the resolute, almost defiant look on his 
young face. She saw, and understood. The week passed very slowly 
to at ie?ist nine eager young people, Histories, encyclopedias and 




40 ~ JOHN ADAMS 

biographies were searched, for each one wanted to be able to tell something 
about John Adams, the second President of the United States, when his 
life stor}' was told by Mamma Nelson. 

The time, so impatiently waited for, came at last, and before the 
clock finished striking the hour all were seated upon Mrs. Nelson's 
pleasant veranda. 

"It is cooler here," said Nettie. "To-day is almost as warm as 
summer." 

"Let me see," began Mamma Nelson. "John Adams was the sec- 
ond President of this country, I believe; what can j-ou tell me about 
him?" 

" He served but one tetm, while Washington had two terms," said 
Katie. 

"He was sixtj'-two years old when he went to the White House to 
live," Hadley announced. 

" He was elected by only three votes, and he used to call himself 
The President of Three Votes,' " added Bennie. 

A RIVAL OF THOMAS JEFFERSON. 

" He was candidate against Thomas JeflFerson, who was defeated, but 
thej' were alwaj's good friends," said Nettie. 

" Not always, for when JefiFerson was elected instead of himself, he 
.Tould not stay to see him inaugurated — John Adams wouldn't, I mean," 
declared Josie. 

" Well, they made that all up, and the last words that John Adams 
ever said were 'Thomas Jefferson still survdves,' " exclaimed Ray. 
"The}' both died July 4, 1S26, you know, within a few hours of each 
other. " 

" How many of the Presidents died on Independence Day ? " asked 
Mamma Nelson. 

" I think that there were three, ma'am, and Monroe was the other, " 
answered Jake, hesitatingly. 

" What more about John Adams r " questioned Mamma Nelson again. 



JOHN ADAMS. 41 

" He was buried in a vault beneath the Unitarian Church in Quincy, 
Mass. — so was his son, John Ouincy Adams, who was President, too — 
after his father was, *' replied Rnthie. 

" I know that he wanted an education more than he did his part of 
his father's money, " said Jake. 

" When he was inaugurated he was dressed in a full suit of pearl 
colored broadcloth, and his hair was powdered, " added Nettie. 

WHERE PRESIDENT ADAMS WAS BORN. 

** Well done, " said Mamma Nelson, approvingly. " You have not 
been idle, surely; I like to have you try to learn for yourselves. You have 
learned quite a part of what I was going to tell you. Authors did not 
consider it necessary to write much about the youth of great men, when 
the Presidential biographies were written, but we will make a beginning 
which I want you all to follow up — that is the way to learn, you knoM' 
John Adams was born at Braintree, now Quincy, Mass., October 13, 
1735, and died at the same place. His father was a thrifty farmer, as 
well as a deacon of the church. As Jake says, John Adams preferred an 
education to money. He was trained in a strict Puritan way, and his 
first schooling was in the public schools ordered by the General Court 
in 1647 — 'That in every township containing fifty families, one person 
shall be appointed to teach the children to read and write, and that 
where any town shall increase to one hundred families, they shall set up 
a Grammar School. ' " 

" What about a high school, mamma ? " asked Nettie. 

" They had none. Pupils who wished to go to college prepared for 
it under a private tutor. " 

" What college did John Adams graduate from ? " asked Ruthie. 

"He graduated from Harvard College, in 1755. The next year he 
taught grammar school in Worcester, Mass., at about the pay of a day 
I laborer. " 

" I thought that he was a lawyer; wasn't he, mamma ? " asked josie. 

"Yes. He was admitted to the bar in 17 58. He delended Captain 



I 




4S 



JOHN ADAMS. 43 

Prestou and his seven soldiers, and was the principal legal adviser of the 
Patriot army. " 

" Can you tell us who he married?" asked Hadley. 

"His wife's name was Abigail Smith, a daughter of Rev. William 
Smith, of Weymouth, Mass., where she was born November 23, 1744. 
It is said that she was one of the most remarkable women of the Revo- 
lution. She married John Adams October 25, 1764, when he was a 
young lawyer practicing in Boston. She had a cheerful disposition, was 
a woman of great force of character, and was always a helpmate to her 
husband. She died in Quinc}^, Alass., October 28, 1818. " 

THE WHITE HOUSE AT WASHINGTON. 

" Read us what you found in the history about the White House 
that she lived in," suggested Charlie. 

"When Mr. Adams became President she wrote of the Executive 
Mansion. 'The house is upon a graud and superb scale, requiring about 
thirty servants to attend and keep the apartments in proper order, and 
perform the ordinar}^ business of the house and stables. We are sur- 
rounded by forests, but wood is not to be had easily, because people can- 
not be found to cut and cart it. The house is made habitable, but not a 
single apartment is finished. We have no fence, yard, or other conveni- 
ence without, and the great unfinished Audience Room I make a drying 
room of, to hang up the clothes in.'" 

" Think of it. Hanging clothes to dry in the x\udience Room at the 
White House," exclaimed Katie. 

" Why didn't some of the thirty servants cut some wood, ma'am ? " 
questioned Jake. 

" Or his boys ? Didn't John Adams and his wife have any children, 
mamma ?" asked Charlie. 

"Yes, a daughter and three sons. Don't you remember that John 
Quincy Adams was another of the Presidents ? In the spring of 1776 
' provisions were become so scarce in Boston that a pound of fresh fish 
cost twelve pence sterling ; a goose, eight shillings four pence ; a turkey, 



44 JOHN ADAMS. 

twelve shillings six pence ; a duck, four shillings two pence ; liam was 
two shillings one penny a pound; vegetables were wanting ; a sheep cost 
thirtv-five shillings sterling ; apples were three shillings four pence a 
bushel ; fire-wood was forty-one shillings eight pence a cord ; and horse 
flesh was not refused by those who were able to get it.' During the Revo- 
lution, John Adams lived in a very frugal way. At one time he had no 
fine flour in his house for four months." 

" Was he as good a man as Washington was ?" asked Jake. 

"He was alwaj-s truthful and out-spoken, often vehement, somewha\ 
vain and talkative, if we maj'- rely upon what has been written of him. 
His temper was sometimes violent, but short-lived, and no man was ever 
more honorable and npright. He was one of the first to urge separation 
from England, and helped to draw up the Declaration of Independence, 
which he was one of the signers of." 

" Uncle Jack says that he has seen the old Adams house in Quincy, 
where he lived," said Josie. 

" I have been thinking that our club might visit Quinc}- some day," 
smiled ^lamma Nelson. " We might learn something of the Adams 
family which has never been printed." 

" Can we go ? Do j-ou truly mean it, mamma ?" shouted Charlie. 

"I certaiulv do mean it, but we will decide that matter later,' 
laughed Alamma Nelson. 




< 



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THOMA S JEFF ERSON. 

•• f EXPECT, as 3-0U will liave so much to tell, I shall not have to say 
I anything to-day,'' began Mamma Nelson, when another week had 
passed, and the club were again assembled. " Who has learned the most 
of the third President of the United States ? What was his name?" 

" Wh}^ mamma ! We all know that — everybody does. It was 
Thomas Jeflferson, of course," cried Charlie. 

" Well, I know that he was fift3--eight years old when he was 
elected," said Bennie, so positivel}^ that the}' all laughed. 

" He founded the Universit}- of Virginia, for he wrote this epitaph 
of himself, ' Here was buried Thomas Jefferson, author of the Declara- 
tion of Independence, of the Statute of Virginia foi Religious Freedom, 
and Father of the University of Virginia,'" said Josie. 

"There, I was just going to tell a'ou that he wrote the Declaration 
of Independence, ma'am — and it was the best thing that he ever did in 
his whole life," cried Jake. 

"He died on the Fourth of July, when every one was celebrating the 
Declaration of Independence w-hich he wrote," added Ra}-. 

''Just fift}'- years from the day that it was signed," Josie concluded. 

" At school he was noted for good conduct, good scholarship, iudus- 
try, and bashfulness," said Katie. 

" He was called the strongest man in his count}- — so was his 
father," was Bennie's contradictory statement. 

" His father owned a very large farm, and he could go hunting with 
out going oflf his land. He was a great rider, too, and often swam his 
horse across the river," said Ray. 

" His family was a musical one, and he played on the violin," said 
Ruthie. 

" The}- must have had music enough, then, for Thomas Jefferson 

had nine brothers and sisters," laughed Nettie. 

45 



46 THOMAS JEFFERSON. 

" Is tliat all that 3-ou can tell ?" asked Mamma Nelson. "I see that 
each of 3-ou remembered what interested you the most. Can you think 
of anything more ?'' 

''He kept slaves, and he didn't like to," said Hadley. 




THOM.\S JEKFERSON. 

•'Yes, he had a ven,'^ large plantation, and kept a great many slaves, 
yet he thought that it would be better to abolish slavery. Charlie, when 
was he bom, and where ?" 

"April 2, 1743, at Shadwell, Va., and died July 4, 1S26, at 
Monticello, \'a. He is buried in a small enclosure, containing 



THOMAS JEFFERSON 



4t 







-^et rrr^.-'ffpl-^xyn'i^ 

















^m/7?^vt^^^ 








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yfyf/uii^4(^^€M^ 






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SIGNATURES OF THE SIGNERS OF THE DECLARATION OF INDEPENDENCE. 

thirty graves, perhaps, in the woods, on the road from Charlottsville 
to Monticello. The granite obelisk which marks the grave is much 
broken b}^ relic hunters," answered Charlie promptly. "Now tell us 
your part, mamma?" 



48 THOMAS JEFFERSON. 

"So vou are tired of telling the story," hiughed Mamma Nelson. 

"O uo. ma'am. I think that isn't it. bnt yon can tell it best," pro- 
tested Jake. 

" Well. " M.unma Nelson began, " Thomas Jefferson was born five 
miles or more east of Charlottsville, \'a., near the place where the 
river Rivanna enters the James. The first American Jefferson, snp- 
pKised to have come from Snowdon in Wales, arrived in \'irginia before 
the Mayflower landed at Plymouth. Thomas Jefferson's father was a 
self-made man, who died wheti Thomas was fourteen years old, leaving 
a comfortable property for his family. " 

STUDIED FIFTEEN HOURS A DAY. 

" Then he could have a good education, " said Jake joyfully. 

" Yes, he had the best education that he could get in \'irginia at 
that time. When but nine years old he was placed in a faniilj* 
of a Scotch clergyman, to learn Greek, Latin and French. Before he was 
seventeen he entered William and Mary College, at Williamsburg. He 
said of himself that he studied fitteeu hours a day, when at college, and 
ran a mile and back every night at twilight, for exercise. At that time 
he was a very shy, warm hearted boy, rather tall and slight, always 
eager to learn all that he could. He was strong, but not gfood-looking. 
Later he is said to have been courtly, and even handsome, although, at 
the time of his inauguration, he is described as over six feet tall, loose 
jointed, with long limbs, and reddish hair combed loosely back and tied 
behind. He wore a black coat with a light under dress. " 

" Did he make laws for himself, as Washington did ? " asked Ray. 

'* I have never known that he did, but he had a ver}>- good rule, by 
which he governed his conduct. \\'hen he was tempted to do a thing 
which might not be quite right, he did not decide until he asked himself 
what learned and noble men, his teachers, perhaps, would do if placed in 
a like situation ; then he tried to do as they would. That habit helped 
to make him what he was. He graduated with high honors, studied 
law. and was admitted to the bar when he was twentv-four vears old. " 



THOMAS JEFFERSON. 49 

"Was lie married then ? " asked Josie. 

'' No, Uc was twent5'--uine years old wheu lie married ^Irs. Martha 
Skelton, daughter of John Wayles, of Williamsburg. She was born in 
Charles City County, October 19, 174S, and died at Monticello, September 
6, 17S2. I have read that she was very beautiful, well educated, and 
wealthy. Mr. Jefferson was true to her memory and never married 
again. He was very much attached to his daughter, ]\Iartha, whom he 
spoke of as his 'cherished companion, and the nurse of his old age. ' " 

" Did he have other children ? " asked Nettie. 

"Yes, four. Two of them died in infancy ; Luc\- died before reach- 
ing womanhood, and Mary at the age of twenty-six. " 

"Wasn't he Governor of some State?" asked Bennie. 

JEFFERSON'S NOBLE CHARACTER. 

"He was Governor of \'irginia in 1779. In i7SShe was Minister to 
France, and was Secretary of State in 17S9. He was Vice-President in 
1797, and became President for two terms in iSoo. One of the first 
things that he said as President i.s worthy- of thought. It was this — *We 
are all Republicans, we are all Federalists, brothers in thought, act and 
purpose. ' We owe man}' 'Jeflfersonian ' principles of our government to 
him. Near the close of his life he lost lieavil}?- b}- endorsing a note for 
a friend, who became bankrupt. Then Philip Hone. Mayor of New 
York, raised a sum of money for him, to which Philadelphia and Balti- 
more each added. Mr. Jeiferson was deepl}- grateful for the gift. ' It 
is an offering of love, not a cent of it is wrung from the tax-payer,' 
he said. Thomas Jefferson was always just, with perfect control over 
himself. He was a patriot, and his influence will be felt as long as 
the United States continues to be a nation." 

''That will be a long time," said Hadley, positively. 

'' Only think, he was only nine years old when he began to study 
the languages," mused Charlie. '' Wasn't he smart ? " 

"Was he like other boys — do ^-ou t.hiuk, ma'am?" asked Jake, 
anxiously. 



50 



THOMAS JEFFERSON 



"I tliiiik so — decidedl}-," smiled Mamma Xelsou. ''I found one 
little incident of his boyliood in an old book \-esterda3'. You remember 
that he was ver\' fond of horses and of hunting. In those days 
hunting was a great amusement among the richer classes in \'irginia, 
and this is the little storj' about Thomas Jefferson. He was probabU" 
not more than a dozen years old, although he was riding a spirited 
horse in the chase. He c^me up with the hounds just as the}- had 
cornered a poor, 
little fox. The 
bo3* looked around 
— ^not a hunter 
was in sight, for 
all were following 
the rest of the 
pack, after the 
mother of the little 
fox. perhaps. Then 
he looked at the 
little fox. It was - 
not old enough to 
be very much 
frightened. 

Thomas lifted it gently, and wrapped his hunting jacket around it. 
At least, it was not as afraid of him as it had been of the dogs, vriih 
their red, open mouths, and deep hayings. So Thomas Jeflferson, the 
boy. said nothing, but mounted his horse with the little animal in his 
arms, and rode away to a safe distance. Then he put the little fox 
down in some thick bushes, close to a rocky hill, where the foxes had 
holes in the ground. ' There,' he said with great satisfaction. ' Run 
away and hide yourself, you are too little to be killed.' " 

" Is it an\' worse to kill a little fox than a big one ? " asked Jake, 
quietl}'. 

'' We hardly think so, do we ? But the little fox was more helpless 




HOUSE IN WHICH THE DECLARATION OF INDEPENDENCE 
WAS WRITTEN, PHILADELPHIA. 



THOMAS JEFFERSON. 51 

tliaii a big one, and that was what appealed to Thomas J etiTerson, I think. 
He always took the part of the weak and helpless." 

" Then when I think of him, I shall think of David Barker's poem 
abont 'the under dog in the fight,' " cried Ruthie. 

"That was just it. Thomas Jefferson had a long and eventful life. 
He was eighty-three years old when he died-an old man, beloved and 
honored by his countrymen. He served his native land in many ways, 
always doing the duty nearest him promptly and well, as he understood 
It. But through it all he defended the cause of the ' under dog in the 

fight,' and is remembered for his kindl}, 
words, as well as for his statesmanship." 
" Why did we never think of a club like 
this before, boys ? " asked Hadley. 

"And girls," added Katie, impressively. 
"Excuse me," returned Hadley, with a 
.low bow. "Why have we never thought of 
this before, ladies and gentlemen ? " 

"Because mamma didn't," said Charlie, 
lo3'ally. 

"If every mamma would think of it, what lots more the boys and 
girls would know-but every one hasn't got a mother," Jake sighed as 
lie spoke, but Mamma Nelson laid her hand upon his with a gentle 
pressure, and smiled. Mamma Nelson's smile always said more than 
her talking did. After a moment's silence, she said : 
'I think that our club is without a name yet." 
"So it is," ejaculated Nettie. " What shall it be ? " 
"I think the Owl Club would be good-we are seeking for knowl- 
edge,^you know, and the owl is the emblem of wisdom," suggested Josie. 
"Owl Club," cried Bennie, scornfully, "we want something that 
sounds bigger and better than that." 

II We might call it the President Club," suggested Ray. 
"O no. There is President enough to it now. Uncle Sam's Club- 
would be better, and mean the same," said Katie. 




speaker's chair and desk on 
which declaration .was 

SIGNED. 



62 



THOMAS JEFFERSON. 



"I don't like one much better than the other, and neither of them 
is as good as the Owl Club," said Josie, decidedly. 

"What shall we call it, mamma? Ah, I see it in your ejes — j'ou 
iave thought of a name," cried Nettie. 

Mamma Nelson said nothing, but she took ten dainty blue badges 
from a box. Each one bore the name " The White House Club," in 
silver letters, beneath a picture of the 
Capitol, and each one had a heavy gold fringe. 

"We allow no politics in our Club," 
smiled Mamma Nelson, pleased at the 
eager haste with which the badges were 
pinned in place on coats and dresses. " So 
we \vi\\ wear both the silver and the gold." 

But we are forgettiug something. 
Our Club name has not been accepted 
yet, and '" 

" O yes it has." 

" What beauties, thej' are — the badges, 
I mean." 

" How proud we'll be to wear them." old bell, lndepFndence h.\ll. 

"Of course, that's the best name, only we couldn't think of it." 

" No one but mamma could." 

" I guess the Club is named," laughed Mamma Nelson. "And for 
ever}' day use I have provided these," as she spoke she laid ten button 
pins on the stand. They were oval, just a picture of the White House 
at Washington on a blue ground. 

"Are the}' for us ? " asked Jake. 

"Of course they are," replied Mamma Nelson. "I have noticed 
that members of different organizations like to wear some emblem of 
their order if they are really interested in it, and I thought " 




" That we would take more interest — and we shall — if we can," 
interrupted Hadley. 

"The pins you may take with you, if you like, to wear all of the 



i 



THOMAS JEFFERSON. 



time. The silk badges we will keep in this box, for club use onlj'," 
said Mamma Nelson. "I think that we will look np about two Presi- 
dents for the next meeting — ^James Madison and James IMonroe. 










Kf: 






■^ -> 



STATUE OF JEFFERSON AT WASHINGTON. 

I am afraid that 3-011 will get tired before we get through if we take 
but one every evening." 

"No fear of that, ma'am," said Jake, brightly. " Tuesday is the 
bright day in every week." 

"So say we all," laughed Hadle3\ " I could stay here and hear 
about it all the time." 

" If mamma would tell stories all the time — but she will not; so 
good-night," nodded Charlie. 



r- . 



JAMES MADISON 



AND 



JAMES MONROE. 



a 



I 



NEVER saw such long weeks; it seems as if Tuesda}' never would 
come," sighed Jake, at the next nieetingof the White House Club. 

" Of course the time isn't any longer than it always was, but it 
seems so to us," added Hadley. 

" I never thought that I could like to hear about the Presidents so 
well," declared Bennie. 

"It is so with all historical stud}'," smiled Mamma Nelson. "The 
more j-ou learn, the more you want to know. I have told 3'ou before 
that I hope this is but the beginning." 

" If it is, we owe it to you, for we never liked to study histor}'^ before — 
especially people's history," said Josie, gratefullj'. 

" Well, as we have two subjects this evening, we must get to work. 
Who was the fourth President, how many terms did he serve, and what 
can you say of him ?" Mamma Nelson began. 

"His name was James Madison, he served two terms, and his grand- 
mother was a sister to Zackary Ta34or's grandfather," declared Ray. 

"He was born at Port Conway, Va., March 16, 1751, and died at 
Montpelier, June 28, 1836," said Ruthie. 

" He lies in a beautiful spot on the old Madison estate near his home 
in Montpelier," said Katie. 

" Is that all ? Bennie, have you nothing to tell us ?" asked Mamma 
Nelson. 

" Why — yes — if I could remember it," laughed Bennie. " I've been 

trying to think of it, but I can't hardl}'. I sat up until eleven o'clock 

last night reading Stoddard's book. He says that in 1623 a list was 
54 



JAMES MADISON AND JAMES MONROE. 



55 



written of all tlie men, women and children of the town, and in that list 
was the name of a Captain Isaac Madison, of English descent, and — and 
there was something abont him — he was a great Indian fighter, I guess. 




JAMES MADISON. 

" I think the record is not very clear so far back as tbat, but probably 
he did fight the Indians, for there was much trouble between the whites 
and the natives then." 

"Well, wouldn't we make trouble if another race of men came here 
and took our lands away ?" demanded Jake. 



5« 



JAMES MADISON AND JAMES MONROE. 



"I think we sliould," replied INIamma Nelson, emphatically. "I 
never coxild quite blame the Indians as much as many people do. It is 
true that they were savage and cruel, but their education, and often the 
injustice of the whites, made them so. The)- have been wronged in many 

ways, and if the}^ returned evil for 
evil, a thousand fold, there is some 
excuse for them." 

" After all, the}- were not much 
worse than our own ancestors in the i 
old feudal times," mused Josie. 

" That is ver}^ true, Josie, but 
people are apt to forget that. Is that j 
all that you learned, Bennie ?" ■ 

" I knew that I couldn't think of 
it when I wanted to, so I wrote it," said 
Bennie, triumphantly, handing a slip \ 
of paper to Mamma Nelson, who read 
aloud : 

"In 1653 a patent was taken out 

for lands, by one John Madison. This 

John had a son John, whose son, 

INDIAN CHILD IN CRADLE. Ambrose, was a planter. The son of 

Ambrose was James, the owner of Montpellier, and the father of 

President James Madison." 

"Well done. Here we have five generations, which proves that the 
Madisous were people of some consequence, although like George 
Washington and Thomas Jefferson, James ]\Iadison did not strictly 
belong to the 'First Families of Virginia.' " 

"I guess the F. F. V.'s were glad enough to claim them," ejaculated 
Bennie, triumphantly. 

"Yes, after they occupied the highest oflBce in the nation," smiled 
Mamma Nelson. " People alwaj^s recognize success. Although James 
Madison's father did not belong to the richest class, he was in ver^'^ com- 




JAMES MADISON AND JAMES MONROE. 



57 



fortable circumstauces, and his sou had good educational privileges. 
His mother, who was Nellie Conway, of Port Conwa}', had charge of 
his early teaching, as well as that of his four brothers and three sisters. 
Then he was taught by private tutors until he entered Princeton Col- 
lege, from which he graduated in 1771, and began the study of law." 

" I heard that he studied twenty-one of the twentj^-four hours every 
day at college. Do you believe that? " asked Hadley. 




— ^Mssssa"- 



INDIAN AMUSEMEiN IS— CA.Ni.K-RACE BETWEEN SQUAWS. 

" I cannot dispiite it, although I confess that I doubt it. Did any 
of you find out anything about his early life ? ' 

"No, I didn't. Hadley and I hunted through every book that said 
Madison, and then we gave it up," grumbled Bennie. 

"I think that there was not much written about him as a boy. His 
boyhood was spent upon a large plantation, where many slaves were 
kept. The living was primitive, but plentiful, for it was nearly all 
laised at home. George Washington was nineteen and Thomas Jefifer- 
scn was eight 3'ears old when James Madison was born. It is safe .0 



58 



JAMES MADISON AND JAMES MONROE. 



saj' that uo one of them suspected what parts they were to act in the 
forming of this great nation." , 

" He was a great friend of Jefferson through life," said Hadley. ' 
"Yes, and his wife, Dollj^ IMadison, as she was commonl}- called, 
helped in the duties of the Executive Mansion when JeflFersonwas Presi- 




MASSACKK 1!V INDIANS AT KOKT DEAKRORN. 

dent. She was practically mistress of the White House for fourteen 
years." | 

" My father says that James Madison was defeated once because he 
was a temperance man. Was it so ? " asked Katie. 

" It was the custom then, as I fear it is now, to treat the voters on 
liquors before election, and that was expected of all candidates. When 
James Madison was elected to the Legislature in 1776, his friends paid 
those bills wit.Uout his knowledge. When nominated for a second term 



JAMES MADISON AND JAMES MONROE. 59 

he was defeated because lie refused the treat mone}^, or to furnish liquor 
^n auy way. To my mind, no man ever spoke truer words than he did 




JAMES MONROE. 

when he said * The reputation and success of a government depends 
upon the purity of its popular elections.' " 

"But he was sent to Congress in 1779," said Ray. 

" And was Secretary of State when Jefferson was President," added 
Ruthie, 

"And became President for two terms in 1S09," nodded Jake. 

"Well, we want to know who furnished treats then," ejaculated 



60 JAMKS MADISON AND JAMES MONROE, 

Hadle}^, with twinkling eyes. " I think it was just as bad for his friends 
to do it as for him.'" 

" You ask me something wnich I cannot answer. You must 
remember that the subject of temperance was not what it is now at that 
time. The liquors were then pure extracts of grains and fruits, and 
while I do not believe that the strong drinks of those days did any one 
any good (and often much harm), they surely did not cause as much 
miser}- and disgrace as the poison stufl which is now sold in manj' places. 
What great event marked James Aladison's administration ? " 

SECOND WAR WITH GREAT BRITAIN. 

"The War of 1812," answered Jake with honest triumph, as the 
others hesitated. " The British wanted to search American vessels — for 
deserters — and claimed some men who were American citizens. That 
made a fuss, but before it was ended they were willing to let us and our 
vessels alone." 

"Well done, ni}' boy. IMadison's whole term of service was marked 
by wars, the histor\- of which will furnish you much pleasant study, and 
while people would not shout themselves hoarse for him, as they Avould 
for men like Andrew Jackson, his work in the nation's 3^outh left a 
lasting influence for good. It is said of him that 'he w^as modest, 
quiet, reserved in manner, small in stature, refined, courteous and 
amiable.' " 

"You have told us nothing of his wife yet," suggested Nettie. 

" Her name was Dorothj^ Payne, and she was bom in North Caro- 
lina, May 20, 1772, and died in Washington, D. C, July 12, 1S49. She 
was the daughter of John Payne, a Quaker, and Mary Coles, a cousin to 
Patrick Henry. She was first married to John Todd, who died of yelloM 
fever." 

" I could not find how man}^ children they had," said Josie. 

" For a ver}'' good reason — thc}^ had none. His wife had a son three 
years old when he married her, and her young sister, Anna, lived with 
ihem, but they never had any children. Now we come to James Monroe, 



62 JAMES MADISON AND JAMES MONROE. 

the fifth President. What State was he born in? And what is that State 
sometimes called ? " 

" It is called 'The Mother of Presidents' — Virginia is — for seven of 
the Presidents came from there. Monroe was bom in West Morelaud 
Count)', Va., April 27, 1875. and died in New York City, July 4, 
1831," said Hadle}'. 

" Right. What of his ancestry ? " 

" He was of Scotch descent, and the first Monroes came to Virginia 
in 1650. His ancestors were Scotch Cavaliers," added Katie. 

HIS REMARKABLE TRAITS. 

" He lived at Oak Hill, quite near Monticello and Montpelier, I 
think," concluded Nettie. 

"Yes, he lived in the neighborhood which was famous for its patri- 
otism. Probably the Stamp Act excitement of 1766 was one of his 
earliest recollections. I have not been able to find an3-thing about his 
boyhood, but he probably prepared for college at home, under private 
tutors, as many did at that time. His father was a wealthy planter, who 
owned many slaves. James Monroe was quick and impulsive, although 
he was just and generous with those imder his control. I can tell you 
one little incident of his }■ outh, although I will not vouch for the truth 
of it. It was customary in wealth}^ families that every child should 
have a colored servant — a slave — a little older, as especial property. One 
day James Monroe's 'boy,' Sam, did something which his young master 
did not like. ' I'll have you flogged,' screamed young James, and Sam 
was sent to the overseer with the written order for his whipping." 

" Did he know it ? What made him go ? " demanded Jake. 

'Slaves usually did as they were told — thinking that it might be 
worse if they didn't. But as soon as Sam was out of sight, James'anger 
was over, and he hastened to the whipping shed, to find Sam already 
stripped to the waist, and tied to the whipping post, while a big negro 
stood by with upraised lash, ready to carry out the sentence. ' Stop,' 
screamed James. ' He is mine — my very own — and I will not have him 



JAMES MADISON AND JAMES MONROE. 



63 



whipped.' 'Your father sent the order,' said the overseer. 'I don't 
care — Sam's mine.' Then throwing his arms around his slave-friend, 
James would not stir until his father came to release him." 

" Did the planters' sons like their slaves so well ?" asked Jake. 
" Some of them did, and there were instances where masters and 

slaves, thns 
brought up to- 
gether, were true 
friends through 
life. Slaves have 
even refused free- 
dom when it meant 
separation." 

" What college 
did James Madison 
enter ?' ' asked 
Ray. 

"The William 
and Mary College, 
but soon left it to 
enter the army as 
a cadet. He was 
Lieutenant in the 
Third Virginia 
Regiment,in 1776, 
and become Major 
FIRST SETTLEMENT OF NEW YORK. two years later. 

He held a seat in the Assembly of Virginia for some time, while 
studying law with Jefferson. He was delegate to Congress several 
times, and was consul to France in 1794. When he had held nearly 
every important office, except that of President, he was elected to 
that position, in 1816, and served two teirms, having been Secretary of 
State and Secretary of War under Madison." 




64 JAMES MADISON AND JAMES MONROE. 

" Did he make the Mouroe Doctrine? " asked Jake. 

" It was adopted through his influence, and is monument enough 
of his devotion to his country. It means literally 'America for 
Americans,' as it opposes all foreign government in America. It has 
exerted a powerful influence'" 

" Was he a rich man ? " asked Ruthie. 

" Yes, but he was poor when he died. He spent a great deal of his 
private means when United States minister abroad, to keep up the 
dignit}^ of this government. Oak Hill has gone out of the family and 
is now a stock farm. His public life was long and unselfish, and he 
was always an upright, patriotic man. His service was marked by a 
wise and liberal policy." 

"He was buried in New York, was he not ? " asked Katie. 

BURIAL PLACE OF PRESIDENT MONROE. 

"In New York at first, but in 1858 the body was removed to Holly- 
wood Cemetery, at Richmond, \''a.." 

" Didn't he marry a New York woman ? " asked Josie. 

" Yes, Elizabeth Kortright, a beautiful Tory belle, and a ver}^ aris-" 
tocratic woman, who declared that a President's wife should return no 
calls and should pay no visits. Her oldest daughter especiallj' was verj- 
exact upon all rules of etiquette. There were two daughters, Eliza and 
Maria. Elizabeth Kortright was born in New York Cit}-, in 1768, and 
died in Virginia in 1S30. She was the daughter of a British ofl&cer, and 
was an educated and accomplished woman. " | 

"Wasn't the White House burned before James Monroe was Presi- 
dent ? " asked Nettie. J 

"During the War of 181 2 the British took the City of Washington,! 
and burned the White House. Mrs. Madison saved the large portrait 
of George Washington and the plate, with all the most valuable portable 
articles belonging to the mansion. When the President and his family 
returned to Washington their home was in ashes, and was not rebuilt, 
ready to live in, until the next year after Mr. Monroe was inaugurated." 



JAMES MADISON AND JAMES MONROE. 



65 



just then Charlie, who had left the room unnoticed, came in with a 
plate of home-made candy. 

"This is part of my entertainment," he laughed. "I made it 
myself — with a little help from mamma and Nettie. " 

" Mamma believes in pleasant surprises, " nodded Nettie. 

" Perhaps she thinks they are needed to make us want to come, but 
they are not. This is nice, though, " declared Josie. 

"So say we all, " said Bennie, helping himself a second time. 

"We should know your opinion if you didn't tell it, " cried Ray 




JOHN QUINCY ADAMS 



AND 



ANDREW JACKSON. 



"O 



^F COURSE you liad no trouble iu getting information about 

tlie sixtli President, who was John Quincy Adams," began 

Mamma Nelson, when the Club was ready for business. 

"He was born in Braintree, or Quincy, Alass., July ii, 1767, avd 

died of paralysis, on the floor of Congress, beneath the dome of the 

Capitol, February 23, 1848," said 

Hadley. 

" I am sure that he never had 

an}' fun when he was a bo}', if he 

began his public life as young as 

the}' say he did," declared Bennie, 

increduloush-. 

" His bo3hood jame at a time 

when bo3-s thought as men — in the 

shadow of the Revolution," answered 

Mamma Nelson. "It is said that his 

leading traits of character were as 

marked at seven years of age as at 

sevent}-." 

" He was only seven years old 

when he stood upon Penn's Hill, 

beside his anxious mother, and listened to the conflict on Bunker Hill. 

From the same place he watched Charlestown burn," cried Hadle}-, with 

kindling eyes. " I wish I had been there, too." 

" You think so, but I think that he would have been glad if he had 

been somewhere else just then," ejaculated Ruthie. 
66 




JOHN QUINCY ADAM.S. 



JOHN QUINCY ADAMS AND ANDREW JACKSON. 67 

"His father's farm was eleven miles from Boston, and when he was 
only nine years old he rode back and forth, to carry the latest news to 
his mother," said Josie. 

"He went to Paris with his father when he was eleven years old. 
Was he educated there?" asked Ray. 

" He attended school at Paris, Amsterdam, and Leyden, but 
returned to graduate from Harvard College, declaring that an American 
education was best for an American career." 

A VERY PROMISING BOY. 

" How old was he when he went abroad as secretary to — to — to 
somebody, you know ? " stammered Bennie. 

" Fourteen years old. He went as private secretary with Frauds 
Dana, Minister to Russia. When he returned from Europe with his 
father, he brought his diary to his mother: It was inscribed : 

'AJournal, byj. Q. A. 

From America to Spain. 

Vol. I. 

Began Friday, November 12, 1779.' 

That was the beg -uing of a diary which he kept till within a few days 

of his death." 

"1 wish that I could read it," sighed Hadley. 

"You can find much of his writing in the public library, and you 
will find it profitable reading. He was a strong abolitionist, a Puritan 
of the sternest, most uncompromising sort, ready for any duty, however 
disagreeable." 

"Did he never make a mistake in thinking that something was a 
duty when it was not ?" asked Nettie. 

"I shouldn't be surprised if he did, but he was honest and inde- 
pendent, with an iron will. It was of no use to threaten him." 

"I read that he was very blunt and outspoken, and always spoke 
the truth, no matter where it hit," said Jake. 

" He certainl}^ took no pains to make friends, but he did his whole 



\ 



C8 



JOHN QUINCY ADAMS AND ANDREW JACKSON. 



duty in a way that seemed right to him, and nearly his whole life was 
spent in the ser\-ice of his countr}', as minister to foreign lands, in the 
Senate, and as Secretary of State. In 1S05 he was Professor of Rhetoric 
in Harvard College. His last words were ' This is the last of earth, I 

am content.' " 



"Wasn't he a 
: ^ lawyer too?" asked 
M Hadley. 

"Yes, he 
gradtiated from 
Harvard College 
j'te with honor, and 
entered the ofl&ce 
of Theophilus 
Parsons to study 
law. He was ad- 
mitted to the bar 
ill 1790, and was 
a successful law- 
yer. In 1797, 
shortly after his 
marriage ^vith 
Louise Johnson, 
niece of Thomas 
Johnson, of Mar}'- 

OLD CUSTOM OF TOWN CRIER CALLING THE HOUR AT NIGHT, land, he lived at 

the Capitol of Prussia. Mrs. Adams was, perhaps, the most accom 
plished and scholarly mistress that the White House ever had." 

" What of their children ?" asked Josie. 

" They had three sons, and a girl who died and was buried in Prussia. 
The oldest bo}^, George, was the onU* one of the sons of the President 
who was a foreiner, as he was born during their stay in Berlin. The 
other sons were John and Charles Francis." 




JOHN QUINCY ADAMS AND ANDREW JACKSON. 69 

" It was in his own home that John Quiucy Adams showed the best 
side of his natiire, for he liked children and took a great interest in what- 
ever interested them." 

" When shall we go to Ouincy, mamma," asked Charlie, suddenly 




ANDREW JACKSON. 

" I think June would be the best time, and I have already made 
arrangements for a three days stay." 

" And we will all go, mamma?" said Nettie, inquiringly. 

" Every one," returned Mamma Nelson, with a beaming look at the 



70 



JOHN QUINCY ADAMS AND ANDRFAV JACkSON. 



circle of eager faces. *' Now what have you to say about Andrew Jackson, 

tlie seveuth President ?" 

"He was born at Waxhaws, N. C, March 15, 1767, and died 

at his home, the Hermitage near Nashville, Tenn., June S, 1845," 

answered Ray, promptl}'. 

" He was the son of a Scotch-Irish linen weaver, who came to 

America in 1765, and died before Andrew was born, leaving a half cleared 

farm, and three j'ouug bo5''S to his 
wife's care. She was a resolute 
woman, with almost Spartan cour- 
age and firmness of character." 

"Then they were very poor," 
suggested Bennie. 

"So poor that the two oldest 
bo3's never went bej^ond the common 
school, and the}' did not have much 
of that, while all of them went to 
school with bare feet because the 
mother was not able to provide shoes 
for them. She wanted Andrew to 
be a minister, and sent him to Wax- 
haws Academy-, spinning flax to 
earn money to pa}' his waj-. 

" He was then called ' mischiev- 
ous Andy,' and was verj' fond of 




-rj ■ ^T'"'^^-^^^ II -nil 



A SKTTLER'S CABIN. 

running races, leaping bars, and jumping. He was a protector of 

younger boys, but was often over-bearing to his equals and superiors. 

An old school-mate once said of him : — ' I could throw him three times 

out of four easy enough, but he never stayed throwed.' 

" He was dead game, and never would give up beat." 

" Then he was not a nice boy at all, was he, mamma ? " said Charlie. 

'' He was not perfect by anj'- means, my son. Did you ever see s 

person who was ? But he loved his mother passiouateh', and 5'ielded h-:-' 



JOHN QUINCY ADAMS AND ANDREW JACKSON. 



71 



alDSolute and williug obedience. Different times call for different men, 
and the boy Andrew early developed those traits which won success for 
the General and for the President. He was eight years old when the 
Revolution began, so he had very little education, for he joined the 
American army when he was thirteen 3-ears old, with his brother Robert. 
His brother Hugh died just before that, at the battle of Stono." 




A SOUTHERN PLANTATION. 

"I thought that he was taken prisoner when he was thirteen years 
old," said Jake. 

"So he was. It was when the British General Tarlton, with three 
hundred cavalry, attacked Waxhaws. The militia were surprised, and 
the settlers were in terror. The meeting house was used as a hospital, 
and Mrs. Jackson, with her two sons, were among the nurses." 

"While he was a prisoner a British officer ordered him to clean his 
boots. Jackson refused, saying that he was a prisoner of war, and 
demanding to be treated as such. The officer was mad at this daring 



72 JOHN QUINCY ADAMS AND ANDREW JACKSON. 

answer and struck at him with his sword. Jackson threw up his arm to 
ward off the blow, and received a severe wound, the scar of which he 
alwaj-s carried," said Hadle}-. 

'' Can 5'ou tell any more about his imprisonment ? '' 
" He and his brother were taken to Camden, with other prisoners, 
and both had the small-pox there. At last their mother got them 
exchaiiged and went to bring them home. Robert died in a day or two." 

NOT AN EDUCATED MAN. 

'Right again. But the devoted mother died very soon after that, 
and was buried in an unknown grave. Jackson tried to find her resting 
place in vain, in after years." 

" What did Andrew Jackson do then ? Did he go to school any 
more ? " asked Ruthie. 

" I think not, except to study law. He never learned to write the 
English language correctU', and never had anj' but the crudest knowl- 
edge of the law, j-et he was successful, and the secret of that success 
was that he always did his best." 

" I have heard he liked horses as well as Washington did, "said Jake. 

" He was verj- fond of them, and when he owned a plantation he 
raised blooded stock. When he was elected to the House of Represen- 
tatives from Tennessee, he rode to Washington on horseback, a distance 
of about eight hundred miles." 

''Did he have any relatives ? And did he live with them after liis 
mother died ? " asked Charlie. 

" He had no near relatives, but lived with a distant one, who was 
a saddler, and Andrew learned that trade. He began to study law when 
he was eighteen, and was successful from the first, probabl}' because of 
his love of justice. He often took his fees in lands, and soon had quite 
a propertv. He lost his fine plantation, however, by becoming a silent 
partner vith a merchant in Nashville. " 

" It was not his fault, but he had to help pay the debts, and h*- 
began life again, in a log cabin," added Katie. 



JOHN QUINCY ADAMS AND ANDKi.W JAx^KiUJN. 73 



OSCEOLA, CHIEF OF THE SEMIXOLES. 

* You said that he was a General — what war did he fight in ? " 
asked 'B^s.y. 

"In the war of 1S12, and he was Commander at New Orleans. 
Then he led the forges in the war with the Seminoles. The Indians 



74 JOHN QUINCY ADAMS AND ANDREW JACKSON. 

dreaded him, and gave him the name of 'Sharp Knife.' He never spared 
himself in battle, or on the march. He often gave his horse to a 
wounded private soldier, while he walked beside him." 

" He was nick-named ' Old Hickor}',' wasn't he ? " asked Hadle}\ 

" Yes, because his soldiers declared that he was as tough as hickory 
wood." 

" I have heard that it was because when the army had not enough 
to eat he ate the hickory nuts, to set his men the example of cheerful 
endurance," said Ray. 

" What public offices did he hold before he was President?" asked 
Nettie. 

" He was in the House of Representatives, and served in the 
Senate. Then he was judge of the Supreme Court, but resigned that 
office, and went to farming about teu miles from Nashville, at the Her-j 
mitage, where he died." 

" What of his family ? " asked Josie. 

"His wife was Rachel, daughter of Colonel John Donelson, who] 
lived where Nashville now stands. She first married Captain Lewis] 
Robards, from whom she was divorced. Her home life with Mr. Jack- 
son was very happy. Although they had no children of their own,] 
their house was always filled with little ones who loved the stern old 
soldier well. These were relatives of his wife, or neighbors' children."] 

"I thought that there was an Andrew Jackson, Jr.," said Ray. 

MADE HOME BRIGHT AND HAPPY. 

" Mr. Jackson adopted one of Airs. Jackson's brother's children, a 
twin boy, and gave him his own name. By the world he was sometimes] 
thought harsh and domineering, often profane, but in his own home hej 
was patient, gentle, and loving." 

"He is often spoken of, while some of the other Presidents are sel- 
dom mentioned. Why is that ? " asked Hadley. 

" With the exception of Washington and Lincoln — and perhaosl 
Grant — he was the most popular President with the masses. He was) 



JOHN QUINCY ADAMS AND ANDREW JACKSON. 76 

fearless, and tlie one word ' Duty ' was the ke3'-note of his life. He did 
noL know liow to shirk. He was elected President in 1828, and served 
two terms." 

" Hear what Bancroft says of him — read it mamma," said Charlie, 
who had been searching the book-shelves. 

Mamma Nelson took the book and read : 

" Andrew Jackson was sincere and true. He was nivich respected 
und beloved, and possessed both physical and moral courage. He was 





OBVERSE. SEAL OF THE UNITED STATES. reverse. 

always fortunate, never vanquished ; he conquered the wilderness, (fie 
savage, the veterans of the European army, and was conquered by noth- 
ing but death." 

"There is praise for you," ejeculated Bennie. 

" And all true," said Mamma Nelson positively. " We can add 
nothing to that eulogy, we will not take from it by trying to do so. 

"Andrew Jackson's life is past, and he lies in the garden of the Her- 
■ mitage, beside his beloved wife. A massive monument of Tennessee 
granite marks the spot, iit emblem of the life which animated the clay 
beneath it — as enduring as his fame will be." 

"We'll soon have, Tippecanoe and Tyler too", laughed Bennie. 



MARTIN VAN BUREN 

AND 

WILLIAM HENRY HARRISON. 



''A 1 /"E have Martin Van Buren, the eiglith President, and 

V V William Henry Harrison, who was elected ninth President, 

but died a mouth after his inauguration," said Mamma Nelson. "Who 

can tell the most about Martin Van Buren ? " 

"He was born in Kinderhook, N. Y., December 5, 1782, and j 
died there July 24, 1S62, and was buried in the village cemetery at that 
place. His parents were both of Dutch descent," said Ray. 

" What college did he graduate from ? " 

" Not any ma'am. He never even got all the education that he 
could in the public schools — that was all until he began to study law," 
asserted Jake. 

" Then he began his law stud}^ very j^oung, did he ? " 

"He was fourteen years old, but he didn't study it regular, ma'am.. 
He began as ofl&ce bo}^, then he was lawyer's clerk, then he copied pleas, 
and at last he was especial pleader in the Constable's Court." 

" It took him seven years to get through. He was twenty-one when 
he was admitted to the bar," said Hadley. 

" I think that he was in partnership with Benjamin F. Butler, of] 
Alban}', at one time, wasn't he ?" asked Katie. 

"Yes, and they were life-long friends." 

" What kind of a boy was he ? " asked Bennie. 

" I could not find very much about his younger days. As I said 

before, writers did not think it was necessarj^ to tell much about that, 

so long as they made the reader familiar with the public life-work 

of the men." 
76 



MARTIN VAN BUREN AND WILLIAM HENRY HARRISON. 77 

"We are glad that the style of writing is changing, for we want to 
know what they were like when they were boys," said Ray. 

"I found one little incident of his boyhood," Mamma Nelson went 
on. " He was a born orator, and had a strong liking for extempore 
speaking, and a great fondness for debate and argument, at a very early 




INDEPENDENCE HALL. 

Built in 1 73 1 and used as a State House, and afterward as a meeting place for the Continental 

Congress. The Declaration of Independence was adopted and signed in this building. 

age. It was then quite a fashion to have Lyceums, where questions 
were debated. Often there was a rivalry between towns, as to which 
could produce the best speaker. Martin Van Buren was a general 
favorite in these assemblies because of his ready wit, and his quickness 
to discover the weak points in his opponent's argument. He was nearly 
seventeen years old when a popular debater published a challenge, 
offering to meet any opponent who might be found willing to debate 
with him, upon any question that they might choose. Van Buren's 
friends promptly accepted the challenge, and a meeting was arranged 



78 MARTIN VAN HUREN AND WILLIAM HKNRV HARRISON. 

in the Lyceum hall. The man walked proudly down the aisle at the 
appointed time, and mounted the platform— to face a beardless boy. He 
could hardly keep silent while the Lyceum president went through the 
usual introduction, then he burst forth angrily—' What. Did you call 
me here to fool with a boy ? ' ' We think that the boy's a match for 



you,' shouted a voice from the audience. Martin Van Buren saw uhat 




STEAMBOAT LOADING WITH COTTON. 

was at stake, he felt as if his whole future depended upon that night's 
work, and he buckled on his armor, as truly as did the knights of old. 
When the word contesv was ended, he was the victor." 

" Father told me that very story last night," shouted Bennie, exci- 
tedlv. " But I didn't know whether to tell it to you folks or not. My 
grandfather was in that very Lyceum hall that very night." 



Martin Van buren and wIlliam henry harrison. 79 

" Why didn't you tell us about it?" asked Josie, iu surprise. "I 
would tell if I knew anything like that." 

" I was thinking whether I would or not, when Mamma Nelson 
began. I was going to tell it as soon as I could think it straight," 
faltered Bennie. 

" Did Martin Van Buren hold many public offices ? " asked Jake. 

"He served in the New York Senate, and was also Attorney Gen- 
eral. In 182 1 he was United States Senator, and was re-elected, but 
resigned to become Governor of New York. He was Secretary of State 
under Jackson, Vice-President under Jackson's second term, and suc- 
ceeded him as President in 1836." 

" Who recommended Mr. Van Buren when he was nominated for 
the Presidency ? " 

A VERY LIVELY CAMPAIGN. 

" General Jackson was deeplj- interested in his nomination. It 
took place in the Democratic Convention at Baltimore in Maj-, 1S36. 
His chief Whig competitor was William Henry Harrison. Mr. Van Buren 
was elected in November, 1836, receiving 170 electoral votes out of 294, 
which was the whole number. I have always heard that the campaign 
was a very spirited one ; the whole country was much excited and the 
big meetings that were held were addressed by the leaders of both 
parties. Campaign songs, banners and processions are all mentioned as 
a feature of the contest. All accounts agree that it was one of the most 
spirited campaigns our country has ever known. There was much 
agitation on the subject of slavery, and besides, the financial condition 
of the countr}' was very unsatisfactory." 

" How many terms did he serve ? " questioned Jake. 

" Only one, and his administration began and ended with a financial 
panic, and we came very near having another war with Great Britain 
during the time. Yet that term was called the gold and silver adminis- 
tration, because of the gold spoons, silver knives and forks, and cut glass- 
ware used at the White House. These were not much in use before this." 



/ 



80 MARTIN VAN BUREN AND WILLIAM HPINRY HARRISON 



1 



Mr. Tyler made a speech before Congress in July, 1840, in which he 
said : ' What will the plain Republican farmer say when he discovers 
that our economical reformers have expended thirteen thousand dollars 
of the people's money for lamps, candle-sticks, and looking-glasses ? ' " 
" Is that the kind of a man that he was ? I shall not study him 
any more," cried Bennie. 

" Why not ? He worked as he believed. You will find that he was 

courteous and cordial, with 
a spotless private charac- 
ter. He was very happj' in 
his home and in his family. 
His wife, Hannah Hoes, 
was of Dutch descent. 
She was born at Kiuderhook 
in 17S2, and died at Albany 
February, 18 19. She was 
>ilr. Van Buren's class- 
mate, and they were mar- 
ried in 1807. The poor 
loved her, but she did 
not care for society. It was 
her death-bed request that 
her famil}^ should spend as 
little as possible at her funeral, and give what fashion demanded to be 
expended for mourning to the poor and need}^" 

" How many children did they have ?" asked Katie. 
" I found mention of two sons. John, and Abraham, whose wife 
was mistress of the White House during her father-in-law's stay there. 
Mrs. Van Buren died in 1819, you remember." 

" William Henry Harrison next," cried Hadley. " I liked hira 
because father has told me all about being in Washington when 
his grandson, Benjamin Harrison, was inaugurated twentj'-third 
President." 




■■^i 



GENERAL ANTHONY WAYNE. 



MARTIN VAN BUREN AND WILLIAM HENRY HARRISON. ^i 

" Yes, Harrison next, and what can yon say of him ? " smiled 
Mamma Nelson. 

" He was nearly seventy years old when he became President, and 
he died in one month after taking his seat," said Ruthie. 

" Mamma told us that he was President only a month," nodded 
Charlie. 

" It was in 1840 that a very exciting and important campaign ended, 
and ' Tippecanoe and Tyler ' were installed as President and Vice-Presi- 
dent of the United States." 

" Why was he called Tippecanoe ? " asked Jake. 

" Because, as General Harrison, he fought the battle of Tippe- 
canoe upon the banks of the river by that name, and defeated the 
Indians under the Prophet, Tecumseh's brother. Each of the Presi- 
dents had a nickname, which was given to them when they occupied 
the highest office in the land. I will find them all out, and tell them to 
you with a few general statistics when we finish the biographies, or better 
still, we will all see how many we can find out. Now, who will tell me the 
birthplace of William Henry Harrison ? " 

GENERAL HARRISON'S BIRTHPLACE. 

" It was Berkley, Va., and he was born February 9, 1773. He died 
at Washington, D. C, April 4, 1841, and lies at North Bend, on the 
Ohio River," replied Josie. 

" What of his ancestry?" 

" It is said to be English. General John Harrison, one of his 
ancestors, was one of the judges who tried and condemned Charles I," 
said Ray. 

" And lost his own head for doing so, as soon as that King's friends 
were in power again," added Bennie. 

"His father was Benjamin Harrison, one of the signers of the 
Declaration of Independence," cried Hadley. 

" Right, every one of you. Did any of you find out who his mother 

tvas ? " 
6 




VIEW 



OF THE NATIONAL CAPllOL AT VVAiHiNGTON. 



MARTIN VAN BUREN AND WILLIAM HENRY HARRISON. 83 

" I don't think that I saw anything about her — if I did I have for- 
gotten," said Bennie, slowly. 

" Well, I went to the public library in Boston 3'esterday, and I 
thought that I would look up about some of the Presidents. I found 
two biographies which said that W. H. Harrison was a descendant of 
Pocahontas, the Indian girl who saved Captain John Smith from a cruel 
death — you all know the story." 

" I guess that we do," cried Charlie. " And I wish that she was 
my descendant." 

" Ancestor, you mean," laughed Hadley. 

"Well, then I found a little book called 'Pocahontas, and her descend- 
ants, by her marriage with John Rolph, gentleman.' In that I found 
that ' Susannah Randolph, sixth in descent from Pocahontas, married 
one Benjamin Harrison, of Berkeley, in 1770, and died leaving one son.' 
I thought that I had found something which every one did not know, 
and which would interest you very much, but soon I found another 
Harrison biography which denied the relationship to Pocahontas, and 
said that there were two men in Berkeley, at that time named Benjamin 
Harrison, and that the signer of Declaration of Independence married 
a Miss Basset." 

" What more did you find out, ma'am ? " asked Jake eagerly. 

WHAT IS SAID OF HIS ANCESTORS. 

" I came home, and now you know just as much about it as I du. Of 
the six or seven Harrison biographies that I looked at, two said that he 
was descended from the Indian girl, one denied it, and the others did not 
mention it at all." "I think I will write to General Harrison." 

" We shall hear from him, for he likes young people. Tell him that 
we are trying to learn all we can about the Presidents, and we want to 
know true," suggested Ruthie, wisely. 

" Where was W. H. Harrison educated ? " 

" The first that I could find was where he went to Hampden — Sidney 
College — and after leaving, began the study of medicine," said Hadiey. 



:4 MARTIN VAN BUREN AND WILLIAM HENRY HARRISON. 

" I fouud nothing about his school days, but he probably had all the 
advantages of wealth and cultured societ}', for his father was well to do 
in the world. When his father died he gave up his studies, and joined 
the arni}^ as ensign under Wayne, against the Indians. The next year 
he was made lieutenant, then aide-de-camp, and at last captain in com- 
mand at Fort Washington. In 1798 he was secretary of the North West 
territory, the next year delegate in Congress, and he was Governor of 
the territory which is now known as Indiana, Illinois, Michigan, and 
Wisconsin in 1800. From that time until 1841, when he became Presi- 
dent, he was almost constantly in public office. He was Commander-in- 
chief of the American army from 181 1 to 1S14." 

"HARD CIDER AND LOG CABIN." 

" What do they mean when they call his election ' the Hard Cider 
and Log Cabin campaign ? ' " asked Jake. 

" Because the Baltimore Republicans laughed at the nomination and 
scornfully said that if the Whigs would give General Harrison a pen- 
sion of two thousand dollars a year, and a barrel of hard cider, he would 
spend the remainder of his days sitting by a sea-coal fire in his log 
cabin, studying mental philosophy. This speech aroused all the ' log 
cabins ' in the laud, and typical log cabins headed the processions 
throughout the campaign. The excitement lasted until November, and 
the whirlwind of public sentiment swept Harrison and Tyler into the 
White House." 

" His wife was a New Jersey woman, was she not ? " asked 
Josie. 

" Yes, she was Anna Symmes, daughter of Colonel John B. Sj-m- 
mes, of the Continental. Her mother died soon after her birth. It is said 
that she was very handsome, a woman ' to the manor born,' who shrank 
from no duty, and made her home a pleasant and attractive one. Thej' 
had a large family of children, but I think that only one survived her. 
She died at North Bend, Ohio, at the home of her son, John — father o( 
Benjamin Harrison, our late President." 



MARTIN VAN BUREN AND WILLIAM HENRY HARRISON. 85 

" I think that I will wear another badge, if I can find a Harrison 
campaign medal," exclaimed Hadley. 

"You'll wait some time then, unless you find some curiosity col- 
lector generous enough to give you one," laughed Ray. 

"John Tyler and James Polk next — am I right, mamma ? " asked 
Charlie. 

"Yes, and I want you all to know so much about them that I will 
not have to say a word." 

" Perhaps," answered Katie, with a merry laugh. 

"That is easier said than done, with quite a lot of the Presidents," 
grumbled Bennie. "I wish folks would write just as folks are, and not 
make them out either too good to live or too bad to die." 

" An impartial biographer is the hardest thing on earth to find, my 
boy," replied Mamma Nelson truthfully. 




U. S. MINT, PHILADELPHIA. 



JOHN TYLER ,^K 



AND 




JAMES K. POLK. 



'''' I ^UESDAY again," said Mamma Nelson, looking at tlie eager, 
1 young faces around lier. " We have first John Tyler, tenth 
President, who took the oath of office April 5, 1S41, immedi- 
ately after the death of W. H. Harrison. Death had promoted him 
twice before it made him President of the United States, when he 
became Governor of Virginia, and when he was made Senator by the 
death of the Senator elect. Where was John Tyler born, and when ? " 

" He was born in Green way, Va., March 29, 1790, and died at 
Richmond, Va., January iS, 1S62," said Ray. 

" His father was an officer in the Revolutionary army — and a brave 
one, too," added Ruthic. 

"His father was also in the Federal Court of Admiralty, and a man 
of considerable means. You did not remember all of your lesson, 
Ruthie," laughed Josie. 

"Well, you remembered for me, and that is just as well — so long 
as it is told," was the retort. 

" If his father was rich, he had a good education," said Jake,decidedl3'. 

*' I think he had, although I found but one mention of his 3'outh. 
When quite a boy he went to a small school, kept by one John McMurdo, 
who was a very severe master, and often unreasonable. He seemed to 
think that if he spared the rod he would surely spoil the child, and he 
sometimes whipped his unlucky pupils without mercy for trifling 
offences." 

"Did the people let him whip them so?" asked Ruthie, in astonish- 
ment " They wouldn't do it now ? " 



JOHN TYLER AND JAMES K. POLK. S7 

"No one interfered as long as no bones were broken. In those 
days a teacber's commands were absolute law, and some teackers, like 
this McMurdo, made much of tlieir authority." 



JOHN TYLER. 

" I should think they would have beaten all the sense out of their 
scholars," exclaimed Bennie, indignantly. " I never could remember a 
thing if I was whipped like that — I wouldn't." 

" Perhaps he did injiire their good sense, in a way, for when only 
eleven years old, although one of the largest pupils in school, John 
Tyler was the ring-leader in a school rebellion," 



88 JOHN TYLER AND JAMES K. POLK. 

"What was that, mamma?" asked Charlie. 

" Well, after they had borne the master's harshness as long as they 
thought they could, they made up their minds to stop it — in their own 
way — and boys' ways are not always best, you know." 

" Are boys' ways any worse than girls' ways ? " asked Hadle}', 
roguishl}'. 

TEACHER WAS LOCKED IN THE SCHOOL-ROOM. 

" I think that they are about even, generallj^ but it was the boys' 
ways that made the trouble iu this case. One day Master McMurdo 
called John to the desk, to punish him for some trifling offence, which 
was probably done on purpose to Hasten an excuse for open rebellion. 
John did not stir from his seat. He watched the master, and the other 
boys watched him in breathless silence, for the signal for combat which 
they knew would soon be given. The master hesitated a moment, too 
astonished and indignant to speak, then, his face red with rage, he strode 
down the aisle to seize the boy who had thus dared his authority — then 
the signal came. There was confusion instantly. The smaller children 
screamed and huddled together in the farthermost corner ; some of the 
girls ran out of doors ; others encouraged and aided in the assault. 
Benches were smashed, and more than one felt the force of the irate 
master's strong arm before IVIr. McMurdo was overpowered. They 
bound him, hand and foot, with strong cords that were suspiciously con- 
venient to find. ' Lock him into the school-house, and leave him to cool 
off,' commanded John Tyler, and the sentence was stricth' carried out, 
in spite of the frantic threats of the master." 

*' What did the scholars do then ? " asked Katie. 

** Went home, of course," laughed Ray. 

" Yes, they went home, as if they were returning from school, and 
you may be very sure that none of them told what had been done." 

" Didn't any of them let the master out ? Did he have to stay there 
all night ? " asked Jake, anxiously. 

" It was quite late in the evening when a passing traveler heard him 
calling, broke down the door, and let him out." 



90 JOHN TYLER AND JAMES K. POLK. 

" I wouldn't want to have been them when he caught 'em," ejaculated 
Charlie, rather incoherently. 

" Probabl}'' the ring-leaders never returned to his school, for John 
T3der was but twelve years old when he entered William and Mary Col- 
lege. But, I do not think that Mr. McMurdo was very hard on them, 
for he had had a needed lesson. Teachers should govern with dignity 
and kindness, not by brute force. He complained to Judge Tyler, John's 
father, however." 

" What did the Judge say to him ? " asked Bennie, quickly. 

"He listened to the complaint in silence, then made this apt answer, 
' Sic Semper Tyrannis,' which means ' So is it alwaj^s with tyrants.' " 

GRADUATED WHEN VERY YOUNG. 

"John Tyler must have graduated from college before he was seven- 
teen years old," mused Hadley. 

" He did, and then studied law. He was admitted to the bar when 
he was nineteen years old." 

" And went to the Legislature when he was twenty-one," said Ray. 

" Yes, then he was sent to Congress. He was married twice," the 
first time to Letitia Christian, who died at the White House, then he 
married Julia Gardiner of New York. 

" Was he a good President? " asked Josie. 

"Well, it is said that he went back on his election principles when 
he found himself really President, and there was much dissatisfaction 
about it." 

" He was in favor of having all the States made slave States, wasn't 
he? " asked Jake. 

" I believe that he did not want any restriction placed on slavery. 
When he died he was a member of the Confederate Congress, and he is 
buried in Hollywood Cemetery, in Richmond, near James Monroe. His 
grave is surrounded by magnolia trees." 

" Where did he live after he was President ? " asked Katie. 

*' When he left the White House he went to an estate three or four 



JOHN TYLER AND JAMES K. POLK. 



91 



miles from Greenway, on tlie James River, whicli he named Sterwood 
Forest. He lived there quietly until 1861, when he was President of the 
Peace Convention at Washington, trying to effect a compromise between 
the North and South. When this could not be done, he declared 
himself in favor of the South, and went to Richmond." 

''Can you tell us of his wives, and if he had any children ?" asked 
Ruthie. 

" His first wife, Letitia Christian, was the daughter of a planter in 
New Kent Count}-, Va. His daughter-in-law was mistress of the 
White House until the death of Mrs. Tyler, after which Mrs. Tyler's 
daughter did the honors. There 
was a son and a daughter by 
this marriage. His second wife 
was Julia Gardiner, from Gar- 
diner's Island, N. Y., who was 
mistress of the White House 
during the last eight months 
of his term of office. She was 
a Roman Catholic, devoted to 
church charities. I find but 
one child mentioned, a son, who 
was author of ' The Letters and 
Times of the Tylers.' " 

" Well, we are done with the 
times of the Tylers now," cried James k. polk. 

Charlie. "The next is James K. Polk, eleventh President of this great 
and glorious nation. He was born in a double log house, in Mecklen- 
burg County, N. C, November 2, 1795, and died at Nashville, Tenn., 
June 15, 1849. His ancestors bore the name of Pollock, and came to 
America early in the seventeenth century. They were people from the 
north of Ireland." 

"Well done, Charlie, how did you happen to know so much?" 
laughed Hadley. 




9t 



JOHN TYLER AND JAMES K. POLK. 



" I knew that mamma would ask me, for she said she would, 
because I have not done my part in telling things," nodded Charlie. "So 
I thought I would say it first." Mamma Nelson joined in the laugh at 
Charlie's expense, then she asked : 

" What more do you know about James K. Polk ? Was he of Irish 
descent ? " 

" Not exactly, I think, for people from the Highlands of Scotland 

_,^ _.^^p^^j^^ settled the north- 

^ ^C=_;^ q3= ern part of Ire- 

"^ -__, land. He was what 

folks call Scottish- 
Irish descent." 

" Quite right, 
my son. There 
are man}' states- 
uien in America 
of that descent. 
Was his father a 
rich man ? " 

" O ask the 
others a little, 
mamma. Have I 

THE SMITHSONIAN INSTITUTION, WASHINliTON, D. C. Uot doue Ul}' part 

to-night ? Let them tell me something now," cried Charlie. 

" I'll tell you. His father was a farmer iu moderate circumstances, 
and he was a surveyor, too. James helped him in both occupations, and 
H they were not what people call wealthy, he had the chance to get a 
good education. He attended Murfreesborough Academy, then gradu- 
ated from the University of North Carolina with high honors," said 

Hadley. 

" As a student he was correct, punctual and iudustrious, and he 
was called the best scholar of his class in classics and mathematics, and 
delivered a Latin salutary when he graduated," added Josie. 




JOHN TYLER AND JAMES K. POLK. 93 

"The university gave him the degree of lyly.D., iu 1847," said Ray. 

"Was he a lawyer, too ? " asked Ruthie. 

"Yes, he entered the office of Felix Grundy, who was then at the 
head of the Tennessee bar. While studying law he became acquainted 
with Andrew Jacksou, and they were friends through life." 

" I think that his nickname was Young Hickory, wasn't it ? " asked 
Jake. 

" I think it was. And he was also called the ' Napoleon of the 
Stump,' because of his popular style of oratory. One of his cabinet said 
of him ' Of all our public men, Polk was the most thoroughly consistent 
representative of his party.' He was a successful man from the first, as 
Representative, Congressman and Speaker of the House, until he 
became Governor of Tennessee." 

"He became President in 1845, didn't he?" asked Hadley. 

"Yes. Can you tell me the great event of his administration, 
Jake ? " 

"I think it was the Mexican War, ma'am," was the hesitating reply. 

MADE A GOOD PRESIDENT. 

" And by it the United States gained New Mexico, California and 
Utah. It is said that Polk was prudent, far-sighted and bold, and a 
frank and sincere friend. Mr. Bancroft calls him ' one of the best Presi- 
dents we ever had.' He died of cholera soon after the close of his term 
of office, and was buried in the garden of the family homestead, at Nash- 
ville, Tenn. But, in 1891, the courts decided against his will, which 
left his property to the 'worthiest of the name forever,' and the tomb 
with the bodies of the ex-President and his wife, was removed by the 
State to Capitol Hill, Nashville, that the land might be divided among 
his heirs." 

"Why, didn't they have any children? " asked Nettie. 

" No, his nearest relatives were his heirs. His wife was Sarah 
Childress, daughter of a farmer near Murfreeborough, Tenn., and she 
was extremely popular in Washington society before her husband 



94 JOHN TYLER AND JAMES K. POLK. 

became President. As tlie mistress of the White House, ishe held weekly 
receptions, but she abolished the custom of giving refreshments to the 
guests. An English lady once said, after meeting her in Washington, 
' Mrs. Polk is a very handsome woman ; she is well-read, has much talent 
for conversation, and is highly popular.' " 

•' Eleven Presidents passed bj^ — how many more shall we have, 
mamma?" asked Charlie. 

" Charlie Nelson ! Didn't you know that there has been twenty- 
four?" cried Nettie. 

" Aha, Miss Nettie, there have been twenty-five ; we must reckon 
Cleveland twice, for he had two terms, with Harrison between them" 
shouted Charlie, triumphantly. 

"If we reckon all the terms, how man}' would there be?" asked 
Mamma Nelson. 

"Let me think," returned Ray. " If each one had served just four 
years there would have been twenty-four, but Washington, Jefferson, 
Madison, Monroe and Jackson each served two terms." 

NUMBER OF PRESIDENTS. 

" Yes, and Lincoln, Grant, Cleveland and McKinley," added Mamma 
Nelson. "That makes nine extra times, so why should we not call the 
number of Presidents thirty-three? " 

" I don't know — the people have voted for President thirty-three 
times — that's sure," mused Hadley. 

" Is it ? " cried Bennie, with a laugh. " Where do the Vice-Presi- 
dents come in ? Tyler, Fillmore, Johnson and Arthur became President 
because the President in office died — you must count them out of the 
thirty-two who were voted for by the people — seems to me." 

" I guess Bennie is right," smiled Mamma Nelson. 

" We'll hear about Zackary Taylor— old Rough and Ready— next, 
isn't it he, mamma ? " asked Charlie. 

" Yes, Zackary Taylor and Millard Fillmore, and if you have your 
lessous well I may give you a pleasant surprise." 



ZACKARY TAYLOR 

AND 

MILLARD FILLMORE. 



• 



66 TV TOW, MAMMA, we are ready to be surprised," cried Charlie, 

j \ impatiently, as the last one of the Club entered the cosy parlor. 

" What do you think ? Nettie and I do not know what it is 

any more than any of you. Mamma wouldn't tell us, would you, 

mamma ? " 

" Haidly. The surprise is for all alike, but it was not promised 
unless the evening's lessons were well learned, so we will have business 
first and pleasure afterwards," said Mamma Nelson, gaily. 

'* Zackary Taylor was another man who died in ofiEce, although he 
lived a year after being inaugurated. He was the twelfth President. 
Where was he born ? " 

"In Orange County, Va., September 24, 1784, and died at the 
Executive Mansion, in Washington, July 9, 1850. He is buried in Cave 
Hill Cemetery, Louisville, Ky.," answered Ray, promptly. 

" What of his ancestry, Hadley ? " 

" He was descended from James Taylor, who came to America, from 
Carlisle, on the English border, in 1658." 

" Who was his father, Nettie ? " 

" His father was Colonel Richard Taylor, a daring officer of the 
Revolution, who was one of the first settlers of Louisville, where he went 
when Zackary was quite young." 

" If he lived in a new country he did not have a chance to get much 
education, did he ?" asked Josie. 

" No, he was brought up on a farm in a thinly settled country, and 

he had hardly any chance for schooling. Yet he learned to be a soldier, 

for many of his father's neighbors were his fellow soldiers. Young 

95 



96 



2ACKARY TAYLOR AND MILLARD FILLMORE. 



Zackary and his brothers liked to listen to the war stories which thesa 
old comrades delighted to tell, and all but one of Colonel Taylor's sons 
entered the army. So if he w^s not getting knowledge from books, he 

Besides that, the 



was learning that which iniiUenced his whole life 




ZACKARY TAYLOR. 

settlement was in constant fear of the Indians for several years. Hardly 
a day passed without a small encounter upon one side of the river." 

"Why didn't the}' move somewhere else?" asked Be nnie, with a 
shiver. " I would not like to live in such a place." 



ZACKARY TAYLOR AND MILLARD FILLMORE. 



S7 



" There is no need for tlie boys of to-day to live in such constant 
peril as the boys of the frontier did. During Zackary Taylor's entire 
bo3'hood, he often waited and watched at home with his mother, while 
his father was out fighting the Indians. And the evening employment 
of the Taylor brothers was casting leaden bullets before the great open 
fire, heating the lead in skillets before pouring it into the moulds." 




INDIAN LIFE IN THEIR NATIVE FORESTS. 

"Did the Indians ever attack them ? " asked Katie. 

" I cannot tell you that, but I shouldn't wonder if they did, 
although I found no account of it. But you can retain this picture of 
Zackary Taylor, the boy — you can imagine how he looked in the bright 
fire-light, as he and his brother were casting bullets. So you see he had 
not much time for study, even if there had been schools for him to attend." 

" How old was he when he entered the army ? " asked Ray. 

" About twenty-four years old. His oldest brother, a Lieutenant in 
the army, died, and he was chosen to fill the vacancy." 

" He was stationed at New Orleans then, wasn't he ?" asked Katie. 

*' Yes, and about that time he married Margaret Smith, daughter of 



98 



ZACKARY TAYLOR AND MILLARD FILLMORE. 



a TMaryland planter. This planter ■^'as a direct descendant from Richard 
Smith, whom Oliver Cromwell appoin\ea Attorney General of IMaryland. 
So Zackary Taylor's wife could honestly claim to belong to one of the 
' first families.' " 

" I have heard that she went with her husband, living in the bar- 
racks on the frontier. She was a nurse in the hospitals, and the soldiers 
loved her as well as they did their commander," said Josie. 




CAITURE OF A BA'/TERY AT MONTEREY. 

" Yes, she lived at Tampa Bay, during the Florida War, taking care 
of the sick and wounded there. She liked home life best, and was not 
very pleased when her husband was made President. She took no part 
in the social duties of the White House, leaving that to her youngest 
daughter, Elizabeth, who was commonly called Bett3\" 

" Had they other children ? " asked Ruthie. 

"Two other daughters, Ann and Sarah, and a son. Sarah Taylor 
became the wife of JciiTerson Davis. The son, Richard, was Major GeU' 



• ZACKARY TAYLOR AND MILLARD FILLMORE. 99 

eral iu the Confederate Army, and surrendered to General E. R. S. Canby 
at Cicronelle, May 8, 1865." 

" I thouglit that Zackary Taylor was a General," said Josie. 

" So he was, but not at first. He was Captain before the War of 1812, 
and was sent to Fort Harrison. The garrison was small, and the 
Indians, under Tecumseh, knew it, but when the}^ attacked the fort they 
were repulsed with great loss. Captain Taylor was brevetted Major for 
defending the fort so gallantly. Zackary Taylor also served in the 
Black Hawk War, as well as in the Seminole War, and was commander 
of the Florida troops in 1840." 

" He was at the Battle of Monterey, in the Mexican War, for I read 
about it the other day," said Jake. 

"That was General Taylor's greatest victory, and was closely fol- 
lowed by that great victory against heavy odds at Buena Vista." 

" OLD ROUGH AND READY." 

"Father says that his soldiers loved him," said Hadley. 

" They had great faith in him, calling him ' Old Rough and Ready,' 
because he was always ready for any duty at a moment's notice. He fol- 
lowed the lines of industry and self-denial through life. His motto was 
' My country, right or wrong.' Had he lived he would have shown the 
world that a great soldier can also be a great statesman. When nomi- 
nated for the presidency this ' ignorant frontiersman, who had not voted 
for forty years,' was triumphantly elected over men of refinement and 
education, and the society at Washington could find no fault with him 
when chief magistrate of the nation." 

" Millard Fillmore became President at his death," said Katie. 

"Yes, what was the ancestry of the thirteenth President ? " 

"I guess it was English. He was born near Summer Hill, N. 
Y., February 7, 1800, and died at Buffalo, N. Y., March 7, 1874. 
He is buried at Forest Lawn Cemetery, Buffalo, N. Y.," was the 
read}^ answer. 

" Well done, Beunie. Did you learn that by heart?" laughed Katie. 

L.ofC. 



JOO 2ACKARY TAYLOR AND MILLARD FILLMORE. 




BATTLE OF BUENA VISTA. 
" I IcEow one thing," cried Jake, eagerly. " His great-grandfather 
was on the 'Dolphin,' when she wa.s captured by Captain John Phillip.s, 
the pirate. Fillmore, with three other men, were made to work for the 




WASHINGTON IN THE 1; ^ VO LU HON AR Y WAR 




BETSY ROSS HOUSE, PHILADELPHIA 
BIRTHPLACE OF OUR NATION'S FLAG 



ZACKARY TAYLOR AND MILLARD FILLMORE. 



10] 



pirates, who were very cruel to them. At last they thought that they 
would run away, so they killed the ofihcers, and put the vessel into Bos- 




MILLARD FILLMORE. 

ton harbor. The Captain had a sword with a silver handle on it, and 
that was given to John Fillmore. His folks have it yet." 

" What became of the pirates ?-— that's what I want to know," ques- 
tioned Bennie. 

" They were condemned to death, perhaps they were h.ung in chains, 



102 ZaCKARY TAYLOR AND MILLARD FILLMORE. 

which was generally the fate of pirates in the olden times," answered 
Mamma Nelson. 

"Were Mr. Fillmore's folks poor?" asked Ruthie. 

"Yes, he worked on the farm in summer, and went to the country 
school in the winter." 

" And all the books he had were a Bible and a hymn book. He never 
even saw a map of the United States until he was nineteen years old — 
think of that," exclaimed Hadley. 

" No, nor even a copy of Robinson Crusoe," added Benuie, regretfully. 

HIS HARD LOT WHEN YOUNG. 

"He remained at home, helping his father, until he was fifteen 
years old, when he was apprenticed to a wool-carder, to learn that trade. 
He was the youngest apprentice, and his master treated him very 
unjustly. In speaking of this treatment in after years Mr. Fillmore said, 
' It made me feel for the weak and unprotected, and hate the insolent 
tyrant in every station of life.' " 

"The first book that he ever owned was a small dictionary, which 
he studied while carding wool," said Jake. 

" I don't see how he could learn much out of a dictionarj-," cried 
Hadley, in amazement. 

"Why not? All the words in the English language are in it," 
laughed Ray. 

" I guess 3'ou could learn from it if it was the onl}' book that vou 
had, and you truly wanted to learn something," said Jake. 

"Ah, that is the secret of it— of all success," smiled Mamma Nel- 
son. "Fillmore, like Lincoln and Garfield, certainly deserves the credit 
of winning his own way to the highest office in the land. For weeks 
and mouths and years he worked on, with grim determination to suc- 
ceed, often until long past midnight. His ancestors, for three genera- 
iions, were resolute pioneers, and the boy inherited his trait of perse- 
vercnce in the face of all obstacles." 

"Was he a lawyer, too?" asked Nettie. 




SCENE IN THE ALLEGHENY MOUNTAINS. 



103 



lOi ZACKARY TAYLOR AND MILLARD FILLMORE. 

"Most of the Presidents were," added Josie. 

" He was. When nineteen j^ears old, he attracted tlie notice of a 
prominent lawyer, who offered him a chance in his office, giving him his 
board for his work. While studying, he helped pay expences by teach, 
ing. He was admitted to the bar in four j^ears, and his first fee was four 
dollars. He was sent to Congress several times, and was Vice-President 
in 1S48. A little over a year later the death of General Taylor made 
him President." 

'' Wasn't he married twice ? " asked Ruthie. 

" Yes, February 5, 1826, he married Abagail Powers, a clergyman's 
daughter, and she has been called her husband's 'Right Hand,' so faith- 
fully and well did she perform her life-duties. The White House owes 
its nice library to her. Their only daughter did not long survive her 
mother. This daughter was very accomplished, with a bright, sunny 
disposition. One more child, a son, lived until 1891. Mr. Fillmore's 
second wife was Caroline Mcintosh." 

MADE HIMSELF UNPOPULAR. 

" Didn't Mr. Fillmore sign the ' Fugitive Slave Bill ? ' asked Ray. 

"Yes, and that act made him very unpopular, even with his own 
party, at the north. Yet no President was ever more honest in doing 
his duty — as he saw it. Now that the strong feeling has passed, he will 
be judged more gently." 

"That's all about the Presidents to-night, isn't it, mamma?" asked 
Charlie, a little impatiently. 

"I think so — but whj' ? Are vou losing your inteiest?" asked 
Mamma Nelson, reprovingly. 

"No indeed. But IMr. Robbin's man left a box at the back door :i 
long time ago, and Bennie and I have been wondering about it ever 
' since. I s'pose it's the surprise," returned Charlie. 

"Then you and Bennie ma}' bring it in," said Mamma Nelson. 

*' And a hammer," called Nettie. 

The box was soon brought, and surrounded by an eager group. 



ZACKARY TAYLOR AND MILLARD FILLMORE. 105 

" It's marked ' Glass — with care,' — easy, Bennie," cautioned Ray. 

As soon as the cover was off, Mamma Nelson removed the excelsior 
and paper very carefully, and took out nine thin packages, which she 
placed in the hands of nine waiting young people. 

"This is our surprise," she said. "Open the packages." 

They were not long in obeying, and nine pictures of the Presidents 
were disclosed. The portraits were arranged in a group and set in pretty 
gilt frames. 

"I know why mamma gave us these," cried Charlie, with shining 
eyes. "She did it to make us remember 'em better, didn't you ?" 

" Perhaps. And the pictures are your very own — to hang in your 
own rooms." 

" We'll always keep them — as long as we live," said Katie. 

"And thank you, too," added Jake. "I never had anything so 



nice." 






0^ 



FRANKLIN PIERCE 

AND 

JAMES BUCHANAN. 



•^ '' I ^HE uomiuation of Franklin Pierce, as foiirteentli Presideut, 

1 was a surprise to politicians generall}-, and as much of a sur- 
prise to him as to an}' one else. What can you tell me of him ? " 
asked Mamma Nelson. 

" He was born ut Hillsborough, N. H., November 23, 1804, and 
died at Concord, N. H., October 8, 1S69," said Ray. " He was also 
buried at Concord." 

" His father was General Benjamin Pierce, of the Revolutionary 
Arm}-," continued Hadle3\ 

" And also Governor of New Hampshire for two terms," added Ray. 

" Mother says that Franklin Pierce was a beautiful bo3^ with blue 
e3?es, light curly hair, and a sweet, expressive face," said Katie. '' Grand- 
mother lived in Hillsborough, 3'ou know." 

•'So you almost knew him, didn't j'ou ? " asked Charlie, in sur- 
prise. 

" Hardly," laughed Katie. " He died in 1869, don't you remember? " 

" Franklin Pierce was a kind-hearted bo}-, who would lose his recess 
at school to help a class-mate in his studies," said Josie. 

"Yes, answered Alamma Nelson, after a moment's thought. '' His 
was one of those contradictory natures, so seldom found. He was gen- 
erous, kind hearted, and ready to shield the poor from injustice if in hi.^- 
power, yet, notwithstanding his parentage and his New England birtl 
and education, he always maintained the rights of slave- holders." 

" His father was a farmer," said Hadley. 
106 



FRANKLIN PIERCE AND JAMES BUCHANAN, 



107 



" And trained liis sons in the same profession," added Ray. 

" What a lot of the Presidents have been farmers' sons, mused 
Nettie. 

" More than half of them. Farmers' sons and daughters are the 
backbone of the nation. Where was Franklin Pierce educated?" 

" He received his preparatory education at Hancock, Francestown 
and Exeter," answered Josie. 

" Didn't he go to Bowdoin College ? " asked Ruthie. 

" Yes, he entered there when sixteen years old, and during his first 
long vacation he taught a district 
school in Hebron, Me." 

" When at college he thought 
more of the military drill than of his 
studies, and at the end of the second 
year he was at the foot of his class," 
declared Charlie. 

" But he made up for that by 
hard study, and was third in his class 
when he graduated," protested 
Hadley. 

" Henry W. Longfellow was one 
of his class-mates," said Nettie. 

" So were Calvin E. Stowe, 
Nathaniel Hawthorne and John P. Hale," added Katie. 

"After graduating from college," Mamma Nelson went on, " he 
studied law one year with Levi Woodbury, then went two years to the 
law school at Northampton, Mass., and in Judge Parker's office at 
Amherst, N. H. His first case was a miserable failure, but he said ' I will 
try nine hundred and r»inety-nine cases, if ni}- clients trust me, and if I, 
fail, as I have to-day, I will try the thousandth. I shall live to argue 
cases in this court house in a manner that will mortif}' neither myself 
nor my friends — and he did it. He served four terms in the State House 
of Representatives, being Speaker of the House during the last two 




FRANKLIV PIERCE. 



lOS 



FRANKLIN PIERCE AND JAMES BUCHANAN. 



terms. Then he went to Congress for another four years, being the 
youngest member there." 

"Did he not fight in the Mexican War ^" asked Hadley. 

"Yes, he enlisted as private, became Brigadier General, and was a 
brave soldier. When he became President, his inauguration w^as attended 
with great pomp and ceremony, but his administration was a stormy 




THE WHITE HOUSE WASHINGTON, D. C 

one, and some of the diiEculties which then arose led to the Civil War. 
Franklin Pierce was a sincere lover of his country, but he was timid and 
inefficient." 

"You have not told us of his family. Wasn't one boj^ killed in a 
railroad accident ?" asked Nettie. 

" They had three children — all boys. Two of them died in child- 
hood, and Beunie, thirteen years old, was killed by an accident on the 




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FRANKLIN PIERCE AND JAMES BUCHANAN. 109 

Boston and Maine Railroad, two mouths before liis father entered the 
White House." 

" How did it happen ? " asked Ruthie. 

" The cars were thrown from the track against a mass of rock, and 
Bennie was killed instantly. His mother never recovered from the shock 
of his death, and it was a sorrowful mistress that went to the White 
House in March, 1S53. But she performed her duties like the noble 
woman that she was, and presided over the Executive Mansion with 
great grace and dignity." 

" Why, mamma, 3'ou have not told us her name yet," exclaimed 
Nettie. 

" Then you must excuse me. Her name was Jane Appleton, and 
she was the daughter of Rev. Jesse Appleton, President of Bowdoin Col- 
lege. She married Mr. Pierce in 1834, and died at Andover, Mass., 
December 2, 1863. Mrs. Robert E. Lee said of her, 'I have known 
many ladies of the White House, but none more truly excellent than 
the afflicted wife of President Pierce.' She was a refined, religious, and 
well-educated woman." 

"Then she was liked better than her husband was?" suggested 
Ray. 

"She had nothing to do with the political duties of the White 
House. The wives of Presidents are the ' First Ladies ' in the land, and 
at the head of society. She performed her duties as well as her feeble 
health would allow, and she was a universal favorite. With but very few 
exceptions the women who have served as mistress of the Wliite House 
have been remarkable for their intelligence, accomplishments and 
virtues." 

" Yet it seems as if there isn't much real home-life in the White 
House. The time of the President and his wife seems to belong to the 
people," mused Katie. 

" That is true — in a degree, and more than one resident there has 
looked forward eagerly to a return to the old home and life." 

" What makes men want to go there so badly then ? " asked Josie. 



no 



FRANKLIN PIERCE AND JAMES BUCHANAN 



"That is a question wliicli has puzzled wiser heads than ours, 
uiy dear," laughed Mamma Nelson. '* Public life does not lead through 
beds of thornless roses, yet man}' eagerly choose it. And now we come 
to James Buchanan. Some of you surely know his history." 




JAMES BUCHANAN. 

"He was born near l^Iercersburg, Pa., April 23, 1791, and died ai 
Lancaster, Pa., June i, 1868, where he was buried in Woodward Hi'.' 
Cemetery," said Hadley, promptly. 

*' What wa.s his ancestry ? " 



FRANKLIN PIERCE AND JAMES BUCHANAN. 



Ill 



" It was Scotch-Irish," answered Nettie. " His father was born in 
Donegal, Ireland, and came to the United States in 17S3." 

" Father says that he was respectable, bnt poor, and that he was a 
man of great force of character, although he sometimes looked at things 
through a smoked glass, and of course they seemed different to him then 
thau they did to other people," laughed Bennie. 



V 




CHEYENNE INDIANS WATCHING A TRAIN CROSSING THE MOUNTAINS. 

" Did he have a chance to get a good education ? " asked Katie. 

" Yes, and he was admitted to the bar in 1S12. Two years after that he 
was elected to the Pennsylvania House of Representatives, and was 
re-elected. In 1S21 he became a member of Congress, and held that 
position ten years b}^ re-election. President Jackson sent him to Russia, 
as an ambassador, to negotiate a commercial treaty." 

" What does that mean, mamma?" asked Charlie, with a puzzled 
frown. 



112 FRANKLIN PIKRCE AND JAMES BUCHANAN. 

" It means an agreement abont duties on merchandise, between 
nations b}- which trade between them may be increased. Mr. Buchanan 
became United States Senator in 1834,, and was re-elected twice." 

"He favored slavery," asserted Hadley. 

" That has been denied, but he did not think that States, then 
holding slaves, conld be interfered with legallj^ When Polk was 
President, he made Mr. Buchanan Secretary of State. When Taylor 
came into office he retired from official life, and bought a small estate 
near Lancaster, which he called Wheatland. He remained there until 
Pierce was elected, then went to England as Minister, where he 
received marked attention. In 1856 he was elected President. How 
well I remember that campaign," laughed Mamma Nelson. " I was 
eight years old at the time, and my father was a Fremont man." 

THE UNION WAS PRESERVED. 

"What kind of a man was that, ma'am?" asked Jake. 

"I should have told you that the other candidate for the Presidency 
was General Fremont, a brave and true man. When he was defeated I 
thought that our great Union was surely going to be destroyed." 

" But the Union did not go to pieces, it is as good as gold to-day," 
asserted Hadley, proudly. 

" Yes, and although it has passed through trying times, the States 
are more firmly bound together now than ever before," replied Mamma 
Nelson, warml3\ 

"Wasn't Buchanan the last President before the war?" asked Ray. 

" He was, but the causes of war had been multiplying for some time. 
You must know that a President, however energetic and honest he may 
be, does not have full control of the affairs of the nation, and sometimes 
they are blamed for what they cannot help." 

" And if things are just right during their term of office, why they 
get all the credit of it. Isn't that so ? " asked Hadley. 

"Just so, my boy — it is so in every walk in life. Shortly after 
James Buchanan was elected, the famous Dred Scott case was tried, and 



FRANKLIN PIERCE AND JAMES BUCHANAN. 



113 



tte decision was one whicli gave siave-owners the power to hold tlieir 
slaves in any part of the Union. This hastened the Civil War, I think." 
" Who was Dred Scott, and what was his case ? " asked Josie. 




BRIDGE CROSSING THE SUSQUEHANNA RIVER AT HARRISBURG. 

"Dred Scott and his wife were slaves in a slave State. Their mas- 
ter moved into a free State, taking them with him. Some States had 
laws of their own which declared that slaves were free when they 
entered their borders. Dred Scott and his wife claimed their freedom b}- 
one of these laws. The decision of the courts gave them to their mas- 
ter, ar»d aroused an intense feeling in the North." 

8 



114 FRANKLIN PIKRCK AND JAMKS BUCHANAN. 

"Wasn't John Brown hung at Harper's Ferr}-, during Buchanan's 
term of office ? " asked Ray. 

"Yes. In 1859, John Brown, with only nineteen men to aid him, 
seized the arsenal at Harper's Ferry. The}^ were not wise in doing so, 
but they thought that if they began the fight the .slaves would join them 
in a combat for their freedom. They were overpowered b}' the govern- 
ment troops, and old John Brown, with six of his most zealous associates, 
was hanged." 

" I don't care — 'His soul went marching on,'" sang Charlie. 

'' And will march on until the end of time — poor old John Brown," 
added Nettie. 

" He was hasty and over-zealous, perhaps, for the time for freeing 
the slaves had not arrived. God works out His own plans in His own 
way, my children. John Brown should have realized that he, and his 
handful of men could not do it, but many a soldier marched to the tune 
of 'Old John Brown' in the dark days of the Civil War which followed 
so soon. The question of slavery was not the only cause of the war. 
We can better understand it now, with the numerous histories which 
have been written on both sides. There is no excuse for ignorance on the 
subject, and I hope that the White House Club will search out the truth." 

"Was Buchanan to blame for the war?~father says so," said Jake. 

A MAN TRUE TO HIS CONVICTIONS. 

"James Buchanan was loyal and honest in his own convictions of 
what the Constitution of the United States meant, I truly think. His 
errors were not those of a traitor, for he supported Lincoln after his 
inauguration. He was never married. A young lady, to whom he was 
engaged, died just before he entered Congress, in 1S21. He always 
mourned for her, and was true to her memory. He took care of four of 
his sister's children, upon the death of their father and mother, and 
adopted the youngest, IMiss Harriet, who was mistress of the White 
House while he was President. The son of another sister lived with 
liim ^1 §0 



FRANKLIN PIERCE AND JAMES BUCHANAN. 115 

" What was the name of this niece ? " asked Katie, 

*' It was Harriet Lane Johnson, and she was called one of the most 
beautiful women that ever held the position of ' First Lady in the Land.' 
She was the daughter of Elliot T. Lane and her mother was the 
sister of Buchanan. She was educated in a Catholic convent in George- 
town, D. C, and while at the White House, she received the Prince of 
Wales and his party, when they visited the United States. She married 
Henr}^ Johnson in 1866." 

" Lincoln next," cried Bennie, eagerly. " I've been wishing to get 
to him. My father calls him the best and greatest President that we 
ever had." 

" Better than Washington ? " questioned Katie, in great surprise. 

'^ I think so, too," admitted Mamma Nelson. " In contrasting the 
two men I can but say that the true, simple life of 'honest old Abe' 
seems grander to me than that of even our beloved Washington. But 
each of them was the right man for the place and time in which he 
lived, and both names will shine upon the roll of fame through all 
history." 

" We can find lots about Lincoln," said Jake. 

"That is right. We are getting where it is easier work to find out 
about a President, for the dates are more recent." 

" And the names are more like real folks, because we have heard so 
miich about them," nodded Bennie. 



ABRAHAM LINCOLN 

AND 

ANDREW JOHNSON. 

N i860, there was an exciting campaign. Cau 
3'ou tell me who was elected as sixteenth Presi- 
dent at that time," asked IMamma Nelson. 

" Abraham Lincoln, of course," answered 
Charlie, in surprise. 

''Why, we all know that, ma'am," laughed 
Jake. 

" The first Lincoln in America — or the first 
that has been traced — was one Samuel Lincoln, 
of Norwich, England, who came to Hingham, 
IVIass. His grandson, a man of some propert}*, 
died in Berks County, Pa., in 1735, and the propert}^ 
was divided among his sons and daughters. One of 
the sons, John Lincoln, went to Virginia. One of his 
sons, named Abraham went to Kentucky, about 17S0. 
In two j-ears he was killed b}' the Indians, leaving a 
widow, three sons, and two daughters. The youngest 
son, not quite as smart as the others, learned the carpenter trade, 
and was married to Nancy Hanks, June 12, 1S06. They had three 
children, the youngest of whom, a son died when a babe ; the eldest was 

a girl ; and the second " 

" Was a boy, and his mame was Abraham Lincoln — our Lincoln — 
isn't it so, ma'am?" interrupted Jake, eagerly. 

" I think it is so," answered Mamma Nelson, smiling at his 

eagerness. " Can you tell me where he was born ? " 
116 




ABRAHAM LINCOLN AND ANDREW JOHNSON. 



117 



'' He was boru in Hardin County, Ky., February 12, 1S09. He was 
assassinated in Washington, D. C, by John Wilkes Boothe, April 14, 
1865, and is buried in Oak Ridge Cemetery, Springfield, 111.,'" replied 
Ruthie. 

"I found this about Lincoln, but I don't believe it," exclaimed 
Hadlev, producing a paper from wbich he read — of himself Lincoln 
says : ' My parents were botli born 
in Virginia, of undistinguislied fam- 
ilies — second families, perhaps I 
should say. My mother's name 
was Hanks. JMy paternal grand- 
father emigrated from Virginia to 
Kentucky in 17S0. His ancestors 
were Quakers in Pennsylvania.' " 

"Was Abraham Lincoln as 
poor as that," demanded Ray. 

" Yes, that is all perfectly true. 
I have told you about his father's ;f '-^i^ 
familv, which was much the same as "^^ 
all frontier families. His mother's 
people belonged to a class called 
'Poor Whites' in the slave States. Abraham uncoln. 

She was, however, a woman of great natural ability, although she had bu 
very little education or culture. She is described as ' a handsome youne 
woman, of appearance and intellect superior to lier lowly fortunes.' 
The young couple had not much to begin housekeeping with. They 
lived in a log house, with no floor, in the simplest stvle that 3'ou can 
imagine." 

"Then he never had a chance to go to school much ? " said Jake. 

" No, I have heard that his entire schooling, except his law studies, 
did not exceed one year. When he was about eight years old his 
father moved to Indiana, and .Abraham helped chop the trees to build 
the new house," 




118 



ABRAHAM LINCOLN AND ANDREW JOHNSON. 



*' Now, Mamma Nelson. Wli}^ lie wasn't as old as I am, and I 
could not cut even a little apple tree down," cried Charlie, incredulously. 

" I hope not, my son," laughed his mother. " But Lincoln cer- 
tainly did it. You must lemember that frontier boys began hard work 
ver}^ young, and Abraham Lincoln labored very hard to help get a living 
from a new farm, in a new country. They chopped the great trees, 
burned them when they were dry enough, then cleaned the charred 
sticks from the ground, before a crop could be sown and gathered." 




COOPER SHOP REFRESHMENT SALOON, PHILADELPAIA. 1861. 

"Was the new house a log one, too ? " asked Katie. 

" Yes indeed, and the windows had oiled skins in them instead of 
glass, while their bread was made from coarse meal, pounded in a great 
mortar. Later a mill was built in the neighborhood. It was a horse 
mill, with a windlass, and each man that came with a grist was expected 
to help grind it out. One day Abe, as he was called, went to the mill 
with a horse that was supposed to be very stead3\ 

Abe hitched the horse to the windlass, and he went all right until 



i 




PEACE COMMISSION. 



120 ABRAHAM LINCOLN AND ANDREW JOHNSON. 

the grist was nearly ground, then he became very lazy. ' G'liing there, 

old fellow. G'l ' shouted the boy impatiently, enforcing his words 

with a stoiit stick. Abe did not finish the sentence — not then at any 
rate. In an instanct the horse's heels flew out, hitting his 3''oung master 
in the head. ' He's gone now,' said the mill men, and he did not come 
to his senses for nearly an hour. When he did he finished the sentence 
which had been so rudely interrupted." 

" Didn't he have a step-mother? " asked Nettie. 

LOST A GOOD MOTHER. 

" Yes. His own mother died soon after they moved to Indiana. 
She had been a great encouragement and comfort to him while he 
studied by the light of a pine knot, evening after evening, after learning 
the rudiments of reading and writing. In less than two j^ears his father 
married again, and that woman took his mother's place, and carried on 
the work which she began. She encouraged her step-son to get an edu- 
cation, and helped him in every way that she could. Soon a school was 
opened in the settlement by a man who could ' teach reading, 'ritiug and 
'rithmetic' — the three Rs." 

"Then Lincoln went to school." said Hadley, with satisfaction. 

*' He did, and wore a suit of dressed buckskin, and a coon-skin cap. 
The school did not last 'long — for him — for he had to work, but he went 
on with his studies in the evening. He read and re-read all the books 
that he could borrow, and bought one whenever he could save money to 
do so. When he was of age his library consisted of ^sop's Fables, 
Pilgrim's Progress, Lives of Washington, Clay and Franklin, with Plu- 
tarch's Lives." 

" Why was he called ' the rail splitter ?' " asked Jake. 

" About the time he was twenty-one the family moved to Illinois. 
Here Abraham and another man split three thousand rails in one day — 
or it is so stated." 

" Did he work for his father after he was twent3'-one ?" asked Ray. 
*' Not long. He hired with a man, a river trader, to run a flat boat 




PRESIDENT LINCOLN ON INAUGURATION DAY, MARCH 4th, 1861. 



ABRAHAM LINCOLN AND ANDREW JOHNSON. 121 

to New Orleans, then became his clerk for some time. Finally he 
bought the store, with another man, but soon sold to his partner and 
began surveying." 

" I thought he was a lawyer," exclaimed Nettie. 
" So he was. He studied that as he did everything else — after his 
work for the day was done. It is recorded of him that ' At this period 
he lived by surveying land, wore patched homespun clothes, and spent 
his leisure hours in the study of law.' " 

" Father says that he would not treat to liquors when he was elected 
to the Illinois legislature," said Bennie, with much satisfaction. 

CAPTAIN IN BLACK HAWK WAR, 

*' But yet he was re-elected three times," nodded Katie. 

" I have heard him called Captain Lincoln, was he in the army ? " 
asked Josie. 

" He enlisted in the Black Hawk War, and was chosen Captain. He 
was twice elected as President, but did not serve long on the second 
term', 

" As soon as he was President there was war — why was that ? " 
asked Ruthie. 

" There were many causes, I think the first of which was that the 
people of the North and of the South did not understand each other very 
well — did not recognize their dependence upon each other." 

"Uncle George says there would have been no seceding if Andrew 
Jackson had been President instead of Buchanan. He says that it was 
threatened when Jackson was President, and the old General said, ' Go 
tell them that I will send fifty thousand men to enforce the laws. If 
that don't bring them to their senses, by the Eternal, I will take the field 
myself — and that was the end of it," said Hadley. 

"Whether Andrew Jackson sent that word or not, there was no 
secession, although there was some trouble during his term of office. 
Abraham Lincoln was very tender-hearted, with a horror of cruelty of 
any sort, yet his administration was filled with all the awful horrors of 




122 



J 



ABRAHAM LINCOLN AND ANDREW JOHNSON. 



12[ 



a Civil War. ' He was merciful except to the unmerciful — even then he 
was just ; he was charitable even to the uncharitable ; and he was kind 
except to those who were unkind.' He was always a champion for the 
right, and had great fore-sight and firmness. No man, since Wash- 
ington, ever held so high a place iu the hearts of his countrymen." 










t-s&. 



THI-: GRAVE OF PRESIDENT LINCOLN. 

"We all think that he was greater than Washington," said Hadley. 

"Others think him a great man, too, for on Memorial Day, 1895, a 
bronze monument of Abraham Lincoln was unveiled in Edinburg, in 
Scotland, dedicated to the memory of the Scottish-American soldiers who 
fought in the Union Army." 

"Was his wife of higher family than he was? " asked Hadley. 

" Mary Todd was the daughter of Robert S. Todd, whose family was 



124 



ab;;ahai\i Lincoln and andrkw johnson. 



among tlio influeutial Kentucky pioneers. The family was divided by 
the Civil War, much to her sorrow. She often visited the camps and 
hospitals around Washington. The cruel death of her husband was a 
great shock to her, and as it was followed by that of her youngest son, 
Thomas, or ' Little Tad,' as he was called, she never entirel}- recov- 
ered. She died July i6, 1882." 

" But there were other children besides Tad," said Charlie. 




LINCOLN MONUMENT IN FAIRMOUNT PARK, PlIILADKl.l'MI A. 

''Yes, there were four sons — one died in infancv, another died 
during President Lincoln's term of service, and only the oldest, Robert 
is now living. He is a hard-working law\-er, a modest, unassuming 
man. He resides in Chicago. 

" I guess that he is glad that he is his father's son," sighed Jake. 

" I wouldn't be surprised if he was — in a quiet way. He would be 
hardlj' human if he was not proud of the name which Lincoln left upou 
the pages of our country's histor\'," smiled Mamma Nelson. '' But 
Abraham Lincoln's death made Andrew Johnson the President of the 






ABRAHAM LINCOLN AND ANDREW JOHNSON. 



125 



United States of America. He was born at Raleigh, N. C, December 
29, 1S08, and died near Carter's Station, Tennessee, July 31, 1875. His 




ANDREW JOHNSON. 

parents were very poor, and when he was but four years old his father 
was drowned while trying to save the life of a friend." 

" Wasn't he the ' Tailor Boy '?" asked Katie. 

" Yes, when he was ten years old he was apprenticed to a tailor to 
learn that trade. He served his seven years, working faithfull}- ; but he 
was not sent to school." 



126 ABRAHAM LINCOLN AND ANDREW JOHNSON. 

" Didn't he have any chance to learn ? How conld he be President, 
then ? " asked Josie. 

"A visitor at the shop often read aloud to the workmen. Andrew 
Johnson heard him and became interested. He learned his letters, then 
borrowed a book, and a fellow workman helped him learn to read." | 

" He had perseverance, like Lincoln, didn't he ? " asked Bennie. 

" He resembled Lincoln in that, if in no other respect. He could see 
no difficulty in the way when once he had made up his mind to a thing. 
He could be disappointed, but never defeated, for if he failed one day he 
was ready to tr}- it again the next." 

" Didn't he ever go to school ? " asked Ruthie. 

" No, his wife taught him writing and arithmetic, and read aloud to 
him while he worked at his trade. When he was twentj^ years old he 
was alderman, was elected Mayor at twent3'-two, and was re-elected three 
limes." 

" Did he hold many public offices ?" asked Bennie. 

HELD MANY OFFICES. 

" He served in the Legislature, and as State Senator, then went to 
Congress for ten years in 1843. After that he was twice Governor of 
Tennessee. In 1857 he was United States Senator, and was militarj^ 
Governor of Tennessee in 1S62. In 1864 he was elected Vice-President, 
and became President April 15 1865. 

" Wasn't he impeached ? " asked Ray. 

" Not exactly. He had much trouble and was saved from impeach- 
ment by only one vote. The onh^ noteworth}^ thing of his administration 
was the purchase of Alaska from Russia, for #7,000,000." 

" He selected the spot for his own grave, upon a hill near Greenville, 
Tenn." said Katie. 

"Was he married? " asked Nettie. 

" His wife was Eliza McCordle, and they were married Ma}' 17, 1S27. 
She was a devoted wife and mother, but she did not go into societ)^ much, 
on account of ill health. Her daughter, Martha presided at the White 

i 



ABRAHAM LINCOLN AND ANDREW JOHNSON. 127 

House, usuall3\ They had two other daughters. Mrs. Johnson died less 
than a year after her husband died. 

"Can I tell, mamma? Can I tell it now?" shoiited Charlie. 
Mamma Nelson nodded and smiled. " It was too good to be kept so 
long, but mamma says work before play always and so we had to have 
our evening lesson first of all." 

" What are you waiting for now, Charlie ? Wh}- don't you tell us 
if it is too good to keep ? " demanded Bennie, impatiently. 

"Well, we've all got an invitation to go IMaying Lue first da}' of 
Ma}', and Uncle Sandy is coming for us with his big hay wagon," 
announced Charlie triumphantly. 

"Yes, every one of the W^hite House Chib. Isn't it fine, Jake?" 
asked Nettie. 

" I — guess — so," faltered Jake. 

"Every one means all, Jake," said Mamma Nelson, gently. "You 
will come with us ? " 

"If you want me," answered Jake, with a wistful smile. "Nobody 
much does want me to go to places." 

"You belong to the Club, and the invitation is as much for you as 
for us " declared Charlie. 



ULYSSES S. GRANT 

AND 

RUTHERFORD B. HAYES. 



.^M.. 




LYSSESS. GRANT was the eighteenth President," 

began Alamma Nelson. 

"I am sure that you will not have to tell much 

about him — only we like to hear you tell it best. 

Even Benuie can remember all about General 

Grant," asserted Ray. 

" I guess I remember 'em all," retorted Benuie, 

indignantly. 

" We have been studjang hard this week — that is, before and after 

the May party," added Ruthie. " What a loveh^ time we did have." 

" Besides the study we have heard of General Grant ever since we 

can remember. He seems more like a flesh and blood man than any of 

the others that we have been told about," said Josie. 

" Ke was born in the little frontier town of Point Pleasant, O. — 

when?" asked Mamma Nelson. 

"April 27, 1S22 — ^James Monroe was President then," said Kay. 

" He died on Mount McGregor, N. Y. — near Saratoga — ^July 23, 

1S85, and we all know about the splendid tomb in New York, and how 

ever^-body went to the ceremony when his bod}' was placed in it," 

added Katie. 

" His father was of Scotch descent, and his mother was of Puritan 

stock," nodded Bennie. " Remember that." 

"His father owned a farm, but was a tanner b}^ trade. I have been 

reading 'From the Tanner}- to the White House,'" said Hadley. 

"Ah, then we shall expect you to tell us a great deal about General 

Grant," said Mamma Nelson. 
128 



ULYSSES S. GRANT AND RUTHERFORD B. HAYES. 



129 



"I guess that I cau do it. One queer thing was the way that he 
was named. His name wasn't Ulysses S. at iirst. His mother's family 
jjamed him by ballot, and they agreed on Ulysses, but his grandfather, 
Simpson, wanted him called Hiram, and his name was settled as Hiram 
Ulysses. His father had a leather-covered trunk made for him, with his 
initials on it in brass-headed nails. The letters were H. U. G." 

" Then, how is it that he 
was called Ulysses Simp- 
son ? " asked Ray. 

" I was going to tell you 
about that. When he went to 
West Point, a Mr. Hamer was 
the Member of Congress who 
got him the appointment. 
General Grant was called by 
his middle name, but the man 
didn't know it. He thought 
that his other name was 
probably that of his mother's 
family. So he wrote it 
Ulysses Simpson, and that 
name was kept because it 
could not be changed easih-. 

"The cadets called him Uncle Sam," said Nettie. 

"What of his education ? " asked Mamma Nelson. 

" He was ver}- fond of study, and learned all that he could before 
going to West Point," answered Jake. 

'' He fired a pistol off when he was only two years old," said Charlie. 

" His father thought that he would be frightened, but he wanted to 
€re it again. A man that was there told his father then that he would 
be a General — and he was." 

"He did not suspect how true his words were, did he? Many a 
tri:e word is thus spoken in jest. Was he a good scholar? " 




ULYSSES S. GRANT. 



130 



ULYSSES S. GRANT AND RUTHERFORD H. HAYES 



"He never was veiy brilliant, but was slow aud steady and sure. 
He was faithful in every duty, however small, and never fell back. He 
declared that there was no such word as 'can't' in the dictionary," said 
Bennie. 

"That is true. You cannot fina the word iu the dictionary. His 




POINT PLEASANT, OHIO. THE BIRTHPLACE OF GENERAL GRANT. 

father was a tanner, you say, did Grant learn that trade?" 

" Yes, but he did not like it much," answered Katie. " He liked 
to work on the farm very well, aud began to hold the plough when 
but eleven years old. He liked to work with horses best of all, and 
did the team work for farm and tannery until he was seventeen." 

" He was only eight years old when his father sent him to Cincin- 
nati, forty miles away, for some passengers, and he did so well that he 



ULYSSES S. GRANT AND RUTHERFORD 'i. HAYES. 



l;]l 



was often sent on such trips after tliat," remarked Ray. 

"Can you tell me why his father seut him on such trips wlien he 

was so 3^oung ? '' 
asked Mamma Nel- 
son, meauingl}'. 
" Because — be- 
cause he always 
kept his word," 
faltered Charlie. 
" If he said that 
he would do a 
thing he was sure 
to do it. And he 
never gave up 
what he tried, very 
easily, either." 

"That was 
just it. When he 
was Commander- 
in-chief of our 
great army, it was 
said that he did 
not know how to 
retreat." 

" Once he rode 
a pony in a cir- 
cus," said Jake. 

GRANT'S BOYHOOD DAYS IN OHIO. " The pouy had 

been trained to throw boys — it was a part of the show — but he could not 
get rid of U. S. Grant any way he could fix it. He ran around the ring a 
few times, then a trained monkey jumped on to the boy's shoulders, and 
grabbed both hands into his hair, jabbering and screaming as the pony 
kicked and run." 




1:^2 



ULYSSES S. GRANT AND RUTHERFORD B. HAYES. 



"How could lie stay on, and wasn't he scart ? " asked Bennie. 

"He just stuck his'bare heels into the pony's sides, and clung to 
his mane, and he looked proud and glad instead of frightened. Scart? 
Why, he wouldn't be Grant, if he was that, would he, ma'am ? " 

"I think not," smiled Mamma Nelson. "The pony was fairly 
beaten. He was the best horseman in the cavalry drill of his class, and 
was called one of the best in the ami}-. A good story is told of him 




LIEUTENANT GRANT GOING FUR AMMUNITION AT MONTEREY. 

when abroad. It happened in Milan, in 1878, and General Grant was 
about to review the flower of the Italian army. A group of Italian 
officers waited for him at the door of a hotel, while three grooms in 
uniform were trying to restrain a fiery horse. A looker-on writes: 'It kept 
the three men busy to restrain the beautiful blood-bay horse; every mo- 
ment it seemed as if it would leap on top of the holders and break 
awa}'. A more restless, wicked-appearing beast I have seldom seen.' 
The oflScers exchanged sly glances as General Grant coolly approached 



ULYSSES S. GRANT AND RUTHERFORD B. HAYES. 




the animal, look- 
ing liim over 
with satisfied, 
admiring eyes. 
But there was a 
round of ap- 
plause when the 
General mount- 
ed, for horse and 
rider instantly 
became as one 
being, so per- 
fectly did they 
move together." 
"The Ital- 
ian did not sfet 
ahead of him 
any more than 
the circus man 
did. I'm glad," 
breathed Jake. 

"I like best 
the story about 
how he thrashed 
his Canadian 
cousin for call- 
ing General 
Washington a 
rebel," said 
Katie. 

" Washington was a rebel — to the king," said Mamma, Nelson, 
positively. " He surely was." 

"Oh, he wasn't !" exclaimed Nettie and Josie together. 






Mr ocGF^eSfTA^E WMg^ fiMBS^ WERE-wSftcr:-— :: 



134 



ULYSSES S. GRANT AND RUTMICRFORD B. HAYES. 



"No — was lie? Of course, but uot to liis owu couutry, for that was 
America," cried Charlie. *' But Graut wouldn't have him called a rebel, 
and T am glad. ?Ie and his cousin were great friends, too, but it didn't 
make a bit of difference to Grant. Wasn't it good? " 

" Both were right. Don't you remember the story of the gold and 
silver shield ? I think it was ver}?- foolish of them both to fight over it. 
What did Grant do after he graduated from West Point ? And how old 

was he then ? " 
"He was 
t w e n t }•- o n ° 
when he left 
West Point, and 
he fought all 
t h r o ugh the 
Mexican \\'ar 
under General 
Zackary Taylor. 
August 2 2, 1848, 

GRANT'S HEADQUARTERS, NEAR FORI' D)NALDSON. ^^ j. Jg^^.g ^f 

absence, went to St. Louis, and was married tojulia B. Dent, a sister 
to one of his class-mates. In 1854 he resigned his commission in the 
army, and went to St. Louis, where he lived with his father-in-law, at 
Whitehaven, a large plantation." 

"Colonel Dent set aside about sixty acres for his son-in-law's own 
use, and Grant began farming with no capital and no tools. His neigh- 
bors were slaveholders, by whom he was regarded as a Northerner. His 
first home was a big, two-story cabin of hewn logs. It had a hall 
between two rooms on the ground floor, and two chambers. It is nov 
kept as a relic." 

" That home was not much like the White House," mused Ray. 

"Did he name his home, as many of the Presidents did?" asked 
Katie. ' 

"Yes— he called it ' Hardscrabble.' " 




ULYSSES S. GRANT AND RUTHERFORD B. HAYES. 



135 



"What made him call it such a fuuuy name?" asked Josie. 

" Because he realized what a fight with destiny he must have, I 
suppose. But he soon had a nice span of horses, with which he hauled 
wood to St. Louis. About this time a neighbor said ofhini, 'he hasn't 
an enemy that I know of— all like him.' " 

"Did he keep slaves ? " asked Hadley, in anxiety. 

"His wife had two slaves which her father gave her, but they did 

brins: 



not bring them 
North. Grant's 
early struggles 
made his love for 
horses stronger. 
The Sultan of 
Turkey gave him 
a pair of full-blood- 
ed Arabian horses 
from the Imperial 
stables, when he 
visited Coustanti- 

^°P^^' GRANT WRITIN'C; DISPATCHES BEFORE CROSSING THE RAPIDAN. 

" I Avisli I coiild see them. What were they like? " breathed Charlie. 

" One was a dapple gra.y of fair size, and having all the traits 
chara'-teristic of Arabian blood ; small, well set, restless ears ; wide, pink 
nostrils ; and large, soft eyes ; waving mane, and a long tail, reaching 
almost to the ground, and a skin of such delicacy that the stroke of a 
lady's whip is sufficient to draw blood. The other has all these points. 
He is iron-gray with a white star on his forehead, the large, black eyes 
have all the expression of a Bedouin woman's. Their gait is perfect, be 
it either the rapid walk, the long, swinging trot, or the tireless, stretch- 
ing gallop, while a rein of one thread of silk is enough to guide their 
delicate mouth. Let one of these Arabs, in a mad rush of a charge or 
flight, lose his rider, and that instant the docile steed will stop as if 
turned to stone. These horses are of the famous Lahtan race — th^ 
purest Arabian blood, found only near Bagdad. 




136 



ULYSSES S. GRANT AND RUTHERFORD R. HAYES. 



The dapple gray is appropriateh' named Djej'ton (the panther), and 
the iron-gray is called Missirli (the one from Cairo) from being bought 
in Cairo.' " 

" Is General Grant's birthday celebrated ? " asked Jake. 
" It is in some of the largest Northern cities, but the custom is not 
universal throughout the land. We cannot do too much to keep the 
memory of such men before our boys and girls." 

" What of the wife ? " asked 
Ruthie. 

"And children," added Josie. 
" We have already learned 
his wife's name. During the 
war she was with him much of 
the time, near the scene of ac^ 
tion, and after she left the 
White House she accompanied 
him on his tour around the 
world. They had three sons 
and oue daughter. Perhaps the 
daughter is best known, on ac- 
count of her marriage with 
Mr. Sartoris, an English 
gentleman." 

" Her name was Nellie — papa 




^:^i. 
^ \^'-^' 



MRS. U. S. GRANT. 

has her picture in an album which he carried in the army," said Bennie. 

"Yes, and the names of the sons are Frederick Ulysses, Jr., and 
Jesse." 

" Before General Grant died he wrote a letter addressed to wnoever 
should be President of the United States when it was presented. It asked 
for the appointment of his grandson, Ulj'sses, to West Point," said Nettie. 

" He was a grand man, wasn't he ? Think of him writing his own 
biography, wlien he was slowly dying, so that his family would be pro- 
vided for after he was gone," mused Hadley. 



ULYSSES S. GRANT AND RUTHERFORD B. HAYES. 



137 






" I could hear about him all night, but I don't know what more to 
ask about," sighed Katie. 

"Yon must get his own book, also his Tour Around the World, and 
read about him for j-ourself. We have onljr time for a brief account of 
each President, you know" 

" Mamma gives a taste knowing that we shall like it so well that we 
shall want more. Isn't it so, mamma ? " laiighed Nettie. 

"That is just it. 
Now we have reached 
the nineteenth occu- 
pant of the White 
House. Who was he?"' 
"Rutherford B. 
Hayes — why, you kne\i' 
that, Mamma," cried 
Charlie. 

"She just wanted 
to see if we knew," 
laughed Jake. 

" He was born in 

THE COTTAGE IN WHICH GRANT DIED AT MT. McGREGOR_ , ^, . ^ 

Delaware, Ohio, Octo- 
ber 4, 1822, and died in Fremont, Ohio, January 17, 1893," said Hadley. 

"He was sixth in descent from George Hayes of Scotland, who 
came to America about 1682. Tradition connects this George Hayes 
with the fighting ploughman of Scottish history." 

" What about him ? " asked Josie. 

"He and his sons turned back the Danish invaders at Loucarty. 
'Pull your plough to pieces and fight,' was his command and they did 
fight, and won." 

" Was his father a farmer too ? " asked Ray. 

"No, he was a merchant, and died before his son, Rutherford, was 
born, leaving his family in comfortable circumstances." 

"Then they were rich," said Ruthie. 




133 



ULYSSES S. GRANT AND RUTIIERFORu i^. HAYES. 



*' They were not wealthy, but they had enough for all reasonable 
wants." 

"But he could have a good education," asserted Katie. 




RUTHERFORD R. HAYES. 

"His first education was in the public schools, then at Norwalk 
Academy, and at Middletown, Conn , where he prepared for Kenyon 
College, in his native State. He graduated in 1842, and his conduct wa^^ 



ULYSSES S. GRANT AND RUTHERFORD B. HAYES. 



130 



* always an honor to his mother.' It is said that he excelled in debate, 
had good common sense, was quite popular, and never used profatjf* 
language." 

"He was a law\^ex", too?" questioned Hadley. 

" Yes, he studied law after leaving college and became a criminal 
lawyer, beiug admitted to the bar in 1845." 




THE DEPARTMENT OF ST.\TE, WASHINGTON, D, C. 

" Was he in the army ? " asked Jake. 

"He entered as Captain, but went to the front as Major of the 
Twenty-third Ohio Regiment. He became Colonel of the regiment in 
1862, and was made Major General for gallant conduct at Cedar Creek. 
General Grant speaks of him as a brave soldier always. He was Member 
of Congress in 1865, and was afterwards Governor of Ohio," 



140 ULYSSES S. GRANT AND RUTHERFORD B. HAYES. 

"And became President March 4, 1S77," nodded Charlie. 

"There was much dispute about his election, and many have not 
fclt right toward Mr. Hayes because of it, but his administration was, on 
the whole, satisfactory, although it began with a general business stag- 
nation. Indeed, people now recognize his wisdom and uprightness." 

" What of his family ? " asked Nettie. 

MARRIED A PATRIOTIC WOMAN. 

" His wife's name was Lucy Webb, daughter of a physcian in 
Chillicothe, Ohio, and she died in 1887. She was noted for her devotion 
to the sick and wounded soldiers during the war. She was a woman of 
great refinement and moral courage, and banished wine from the White 
House tables. Although some censured her for it, more regarded her 
with added esteem. She is classed among the best beloved wives of 
Presidents. Eight children were born to Mr. aud Mrs. Hayes, three of 
whom died yjung. The others, a daughter and four sons, are living." 

When the rest of the Club had gone. Mamma Nelson noticed that 
Jake lingered, and asked, kindly : 

"What is it, my boy ? Is something troubling you, and can I help 
you ? " 

" It is this, ma'am," he answered, in a choked voice. "I can't come 
au}- more — and — and " 

" You can't come. Wh}^ not ? " demanded Charlie. 

'Well, you know — I — ui}' father — lie says that it isn't good forme to 
be getting high ideas. He thinks I am always going to know nothing — 
but I don't," Jake went on defiantly, his face flushed and his eyes dim 
with the tears which he would not let fall. Mamma Nelson was silent. 
She wai; thinking of a plan that might help Jake Lewis to the knowledge 
which he craved. 

" Do you think that your father would be willing for you to hire out 
for evening work ? " she asked, meaningl}-. 

"Of course he would, ma'am, that's just what he does want," was 
the gloomy answer. 



ULYSSES S. GRANT AND RUTHERFORD B. HAYES. 141 

" Then we can arrange it," said Mamma Nelson, brightly. *' 1 will 
see your father at once, and I will give you a dollar a week." 

" What must I do ? " Jake asked, in a bewildered way. 

" I know— O Jake, are you stupid ? Mamma is going to hire you to 
stud}^," shouted Charlie, excitedly. 

"Every evening, Jake — ^just think of it," added Nettie. 

" O, could I ? — would you ? — is it that, ma'am ? " the astonished boy 

altered, incoherently. 

" Yes, but you needn't tell any one what I want you to do, I will see 
that you have work enough," returned the good woman, who did not 
seem to know the service that she was doing in His name. 

''Jake flashed one wild look of incredulous, joyful questioning at 
the smiling faces around him, then he caught Mrs. Nelson's hand, kissed 
it passionately, and rushed from the house. He could not trust himself 
to speak. 

"Did you ever?" ejaculated Charlie. 

" Those who have the least chance to get knowledge prize it the 
most," said Mamma Nelson, with a meaning which they could not fail 
to understand. 



JAMES A. GARFIELD 

AND 

CHESTER A. ARTHUR. 



MAMMA NELSON'S plan worked so well that Jake was in liis 
usual place at the next meeting of the Club, his face beaming 
with gratitude and happiness, and only Alamma Nelson, Nettie and 
Charlie knew of the cloud which had darkened his sky of knowledge. 

'' President Garfield was born in Cu3'ahoga County, O., Novem- 
ber 19, 1S31, and died at Elberon, N. J., September 19, 1S81," Mamma 
Nelson began. " What kind of a house was he born in ? " 

" In a log cabin made of unhewn logs laid up in the corn-cob stj'le, 
with cracks chinked with moss and cla3\ The chimney was made of 
sticks of wood and mud ; the floors were split logs, and the three small 
windows had greased paper for glass," replied Jake, who had been 
diligentl}' reading " From the Log Cabin to the White House," with 
Charlie. 

" When he was assassinated, a nation mourned his death," added 
Nettie. " The whole country was in mourning, as it was for Lincoln. 
Telegrams of sympathy were received from all over the world. Queen 
Victoria sent a special one to his wife." 

" What of his ancestry ? " 

" His father was born in New York, but was descended from English 

Puritans. His mother belonged to a Huguenot family, which left France 

in 16S5, to make a home in free America. James A. Garfield's father 

went to Ohio when it was nearly a wilderness, and although he made a 

good beginning for a prosperous home, he died when James was but 

eighteen months old," said Hadley. 

" What did the family do then ? " 
142 



JAMES A. GARFIELD AND CHESTER A. ARTHUR. 



143 



" The oldest sou, Thomas, was thirteen years old at the time. He 
took charge of the farm. But until a crop could be harvested, the brave 
mother went without food that her children might have more to eat," 
said Nettie. 

" What, went without food — how could she ? " asked Bennie. 

" No one could go without food entirely, of course. Nettie means 
chat this devoted mother 
measured the meal, counted 
the da3's until they would 
be likely to have more, then 
ate but two meals herself 
every day. Soon she saw 
that the meal was going 
faster than she had plann- 
ed for, then she ate but one 
meal a day for the rest of 
the time until harvest' 
That season she sT)lit the 
rails to fence the wheat 
field, while Thomas did 
the farm work. " 

" Did she chop the 
trees, ma'am ?" asked Jake. 

" No, she found logs in james a. garfield. 

the woods which her husband had prepared for that purpose, but split- 
ting the logs into rails was no small task for a woman living on one 
meal a day, 

" I should say it wasn't," cried Ruthie. " Didn't she have any boys 
hut Thomas and James ? 

" I think that the two other children were girls. One sister, 
Mehitable, carried James to school on her back when he was three years 
old. He learned rapidly, and had a remarkable memory, often reciting 
at home almost word for word, the lessons of the older scholars. 




^.' 



144 



JAMES A. GARFIELD AND CHESTER A. ARTHUR. 



" I fouud about his first pair of shoes — it was when he was three 
years and a half old," said Katie. " A shoemaker came to the house to 
make them, and was paid by the first monej^ that Thomas earned 
by working for a neighbor." 

'' Did James have to work hard, too ? " asked Beunie. 




THE G.-^RFIELD HOMESTEAD, NEAR MENTOR, OHIO. 

"I suppose he did just as soon as he could do anything, for their 
life was one of privation and toil. When he was eight j^ears old he had 
his own part of the daih' work to do. He cut the wood, milked the cow, 
and cultivated the garden, while Thomas did the heavier work." 

" Wasn't it hard for him to do it ? " asked Jake. 

" I wouldn't be surprised if it was sometimes, but he alwa3'S said, 
' I can do that,' — he did not know the meaning of ' can't,' any better than 
Grant did." 

"Didn't he go to school any more ? " asked Josie. 



JAMES A. GARFIELD AND CHESTER A. ARTHUR. 146 

" He weut to the district school in the winter when there was no 
farming to do, and he studied evenings. When he was twelve years old 
he took the entire charge of the farm, while Thomas worked out at 
twelve dollars a month to pay for building a frame house. 

He had been cutting and hauling the lumber for it for a long time, 
as he could find time. He worked out until he earned enough to pay 
for putting the house up, then came home to help build it. James took 
his first lessons in carpentering on that house. After that he worked 
for a carpenter ivhenever he could spare the time. His first day's 
work was plamng one hundred boards, at one cent each." 

" But he worked out when he was only fourteen years old," said 
Hadley. 

'■ Ye.s, he thought he could help his mother in that way, for he could 
earn more than enough to pay a man. He hired to a man, who made 
potash, for fourteen dollars a mouth and his board." 

KEPT BOOKS AND WAITED ON CUSTOMERS. 

" What, did he do ? " asked Ruthie. 

" He kept the books, and waited on the customers, but he did not 
like the place very well. Next he chopped wood for an uncle, then hired 
out to work on a farm. Next we hear of him as a canal boy, driving 
horses. He never drank strong drinks, never used tobacco, and was 
always a peace-maker." 

" Did he know anything else but the carpenter's trade, ma'am ? " 
asked Jake. 

" He studied to be a teacher, boarding himself with two of his 
cousins. He began the second year with only a ninepence in his pocket, 
working for a carpenter after school hours. During the winter months 
he taught school."' 

" Did he never go to college ? " asked Nettie. 

"Yes, he entered Hiram University as janitor the first year, then 
was assistant teacher, still helping the carpenter after regular study 

10 



J 46 



JAMES A. GARFIKLD AND CHESTER A. ARTHUR. 



hours. He mastered the studies of six years iu three, besides working 
to pay his expenses." 

" I thought he weut to Williams College," said Jake. 

"So he did. He saved three hundred and fift}' dollars while at 
Hiram. He entered Williams and graduated with highest honors, in two 
years. He said of himself: 'When I get into a place which I can easily 




THE ASSASSINATION OF JAMES A. GARFIELD. 

fill I alwaj^s feel like shoving out of it into one which requires more of 
me.' He never left a thing and passed on, until he understood it." 

"What did he do after he graduated ? " asked Charlie. 

" He returned to Ohio, and resumed his teaching in Hiram Institute 
for a year, then became its President. He was also a popular preacher. 
His first vote was cast for General John C. Fremont, and he was a Repre- 
sentative soon after that." 

" Wasn't he another lawyer ? " asked Ray. 

" Yes, he studied law as he had the time to spare, and was admitted 



JAMES A. GARFIELD AND CHESTER A. ARTHUR. 



147 



to the bar the year he became State Senator in Ohio. He enlisted at the 
begining of the war, and was Colonel of the Forty-second Ohio Regiment. 
Many of his pnpils were in that regiment. President Lincoln made him 
Brigadier General in 1862, for his braverj^ and skilful leadership. He 




DEATH-BED OF JAMES A. GARFIELD, 
was promoted to Major General before he resigned his command to enter 
Congress, where he made his first speech January 14, 1864. He remained 
in Congress nearly twenty 3'ears." 

"He was inaugurated President in 1881, wasn't he ? " asked Katie. 

" Yes, and was shot in the waiting room of the Baltimore and Poto- 
mac Station, July 2, 1881, by Charles Guiteau, a political fanatic, and 
disappointed office-seeker." 

"He was not killed instantly-," said Hadley. 



148 



JAMES A. GARFIELD AND CHESTER A. ARTHUR. 



"No, but he died of blood-poisoning, September 19, 18//, and is 
buried at Lake View Cemetery, at Cleveland, O." 

" What became of the man who killed him ? " asked Bcnnie. 
" He was executed June 30, 1882, although his counsel tried hard to 
clear him on the plea of insanit}'. Garfield's tragic death recalls the 
words which he spoke from the balconj' of New York Custom House, 

when Lincoln was kill- 
ed. ' Fellow citizens,' 
he called to the crowd 
l>elow, ' Clouds and 
darkness are around 
Him. His pavilion is 
dark waters and thick ; 
mercy and truth shall 
go before His face. 
Fellow citizens, God 
reigns, and the Gov- 
ernment at Washing- 
ton lives.' His friends 
started a subscription 
which gave to his 
widow and children 
$360,000." 

" Who was his 
wife ? " asked Katie. 

" Her name was 

Lucretia Rudolph, the 

daughter of a farmer in 

Hiram, O., and one of his school-mates when he was at the Hiram 

Institute. They were married while he was President there, and had 

seven children, of whom five are living — a daughter and four sons." 

" Chester A. Arthur was twenty-first President," asserted Ray. 

" Yes, and his administration was a period of political rest and quiet. 




MRS. LUCRETIA R. GARFIELD. 



JAMES A. GARFIELD AND CHESTER A. ARTHUR. 



149 



The diificiilties arising from the Civil War liad been settled — the people 
had had enough of strife to welcome prosperity and peace. What can 
you tell of this President ? " 

"He was born at Fairfield, Vt., October 5, 1830. I could not 
find much about his boyhood. I guess he did not have much, for he 
entered Union College when he was only fourteen years old," said Hadley. 

" My grandfather 
went to school with him 
when he was preparing 
for college at Schenec- 
tady, and he says he was 
as full of fun as anv of 
boys, although 




us 



le 



studied hard because he 
liked to, and seemed to 
learn fast because he could 
not help it,'' said Ray. 
"His father was a 
minister, and his mother 
was the daughter of a 
New Hampshire pio- 
neer," added Bennie. 

" And he had two 
brothers and six t-isters," 
announced Katie 

" He was eighteen years old when he graduated from college," said 
Josie. 

"Then he began to study law, fitting boys for college to pay hi;' 
way. Can you tell me what he did as a lawyer that was unusual ?'' 
" I can," shouted Jake. " He defended negroes." 
"He declared himself their champion at the time of the Lemmon 
slave case." 

" And what was that ? " asked Ruthie. 



CHESTER A. ARTHUR. 



150 



JAMi:S A. GARFIELD AND CHESTER A. ARTHUR. 



" A Virginia slave-holder, named Lemmou, started to take eight 
slaves to Texas, bringing them to New York to send by ship. A free 
colored man sent in a petition, ^vhich resnlted in the slaves being set 
free by the law that they were made freemen bj- being brought into a 
free State. The case was appealed but of uo use. From that time he 




BIRD'S-EYE A'lEW OF NEW YORK CITY. 

was an open advocate of the colored race. Did he make as much money 
and gain as many friends by doing so ? " 

" I don't think so, because people did not stick up for the slave* 
much then," said Jake. 

" No, he worked against public opinion, but he worked well, and 
lived to see the success of his principles. In 1S62 he was appointed 
Inspector General, with rank of Brigadier, and later he became Quarter- 
master General. After the war he practiced law until GeneraT Grant 



JAMES A. GARFIELD AND CHESTER A. ARTHUR. 



151 



appointed him Collector of the Port in New York, which position he 
held nearly eight years. Then he retnrned to his practice. He was 
Vice President in iS8i, and was President in September of the same 

year." 

" He did not live very long after he was President did he ? " asked 

Hadley. . 

" No he died in New York, November iS, 1886, and was bnried in 

Rural Cemetery, Albany, N. Y. " 

" I have heard that his sister was mistress of the White House 
while he was there. Wasn't he married ? " asked Nettie. 

" Yes, he married Ella Herndon, daughter of Commander William 
L. Herndon, of the U. S. Navy, wlio was lost at sea when in com- 
mand of the' ill-fated ' Central America.' She died before her husband 
was elected. Their first child, a son, died young." 

" Tell us about his sister. We want to know all the women who 
did the honors of the White House," suggested Josie. 

" Mary Arthur was the youngest of a family of nine children, while 
Chester A. Arthur was the eldest son. She married John E. McElroy 
of Albany, N. Y. When her brother was President she spent hei 
winters at the White House, where she won many friends, and filled the 
position with great tact." 

" We shall have three Presidents next time," Nettie announced. 
" How is that ? There will not be time," said Bennie. 
" Why, wasn't Cleveland the twenty-second and twency-fourth, and 
we can't make two of him very well," was the laughing reply. 

" No ; mamma will only tell us the Cleveland story once, will you 
mamma," asked Charlie. 

" There is no need to tell it twice," smiled Mamma Nelson. 
"No need, perhaps, only we are almost through, and— it would 
make our time longer," sighed Bennie. 



GROVER CLEVELAND 



AND 



U 



BENJAMIN HARRISON. 

OUR FIRST subject to-niglit is Grover Cleveland," Mamma 
Nelson began. "Snrely you can all tell a great deal about 
luni." 

" I have seen Gray Gables, where he spends the summers," said 
Hadle}'. 

" He was born at Caldwell, N. J.. March .8, 1S37." nodded Nettie 
" A man named Moses Cleveland came to America from England in 
1635, and settled in Woburn, Mass. Grover Cleveland is the eio-hth in 
descent from him," asserted Bennie. ^ 

" His mother was the daughter of an Irish merchant in Baltimore " 
Charlie added. ' 

" When he was three years old his father moved to Fayetteville 
near Syracuse, N. Y.," said Josie. 

'^ I wonder what sort of a boy he was," mused Ruthie. 

" His biography states that he was not different from healthy hearty 
boys of his own age when he attended the village schools in Fayette, 
villa," declared Nettie. 

" That means that he would rather plague his sister than eat his 
dinner," laughed Katie, with a sly glance at Ray. 

" O no," said Mamma Nelson, gently. " I hope mv boys do not do 
so. It means that he liked to play ball, swim, and " 

" And go fishing," interrupted Chariie. 

"Yes, and go fishing," admitted Mamma Nelson. " But he must 
have liked his studies, too. His fiuher took the agency of the American 
Home Missionary Society, and moved to Clinton, wliere Hamilton Col 
lege Houghton Seminary, and a good preparatory school are situated 



GROVER CLEVELAND AND BENJAMIN HARRISON. 



153 



Wheu he liad nearly finished the preparator}' course he began to earn 
the money to take him through college, which he wanted to enter in a 
year or two." 

" Father says that the boys of the Cleveland family worked their 
own way through college," said Beunie. 

" If there was need of it they did not hesitate to work their way 
through anything. So Grover left school and entered a village store, 

on a salar}' of fift}- dollars 
for the first year, and one 
hundred for the second. 
He then returned to school 
and took up his studies 
again. But soon the death 
of his father changed his 
plans, and the family was 
broken up. Grover worked 
in the New York Institute 
for the Blind two years, 
then he decided that teach- 
ing was not his life-work, 
and started for the ' Great 
GROVER CLEVELAND. Wcst ' to Seek his fortune." 

"I thought that he went to Buffalo, where his uncle lived," 
exclaimed Katie. 

" He stopped there to ask his uncle's advice. His uflcle was Lewis 
/. Allen, author of the American Herd Book." 
" What did his uncle advise ? " asked Jake. 

" To remain with him, for a year at least, and help him edit an 
edition of his Herd Book, while he looked around for something else. 
I have heard that this uncle was a rank ' Black Republican.' He owned 
a farm -i Grand Island, where he kept a herd of fifty cows. When 
asked for incidents of Grover's boyhood he laughed and said : — 
" ' Grover was a funny boy, always getting into scrapes. One day he was 





154 



GROVER CLEVELAND AND BENJAMIN HARRISON. 



155 



examining a pair of steers which I had just brought home. I told him 
he'd better leave them alone, but he thought he knew more about them 
than I did. Soon they kicked him across the stable — served him right, 
too ! He always thought he knew — that was Grover — but when he had 

work to do he always did 
it well. " ' 

" Well, Cleveland 
was a lawyer, too. 1 
looked it up, and all but 
five of the Presidents — I 
ill ink it was five — have 
been lawyers," said Had- 
ley. 

" Cleveland entered 
! a law office as copyist, 
where he received three 
or four dollars a week for 
his services. He boarded 
with his uncle and walk- 
ed back and forth daily. 
Although the distance 
was two miles, he was 
alwaj'-s punctual, no mat- 
ter what the weather." 
"Didn't he work for 
MRS. CLEVELAND. the Same lawyers he 

studied with after he was admitted to the bar ? " asked Raj'. 

" He remained with them over three years as managing clerk, 

giving a part of his salary to his widowed mother, who died in 1SS2. He 

was Assistant District Attorney of Erie County, Ncav York, three years." 

"My father says that he was drafted, and sent a substitute : was it 

so?" asked Bennie. 

" Yes, but his mother and sisters were dependent upon him while 




156 



GROVER CLEVELAND AND BENJAMIN HARRISON 



his brother was iti the army. That was the reason why tlie substitute 
was sent. He seldom practiced hiw alone, and his partnerships were 
generally successful." 

" Did he not hold more public offices ? " asked Hadle}'. 
"Oh, yes. He was Sheriff of Erie County, Mayor of Buffalo, and 
Governor of New York. While in that office he lived very simply, 
and used as little official form and ceremony as possible. He kept no 

carriage, but walked from 
his house to his work like 
auA' day laborer." 

"In March 1S85 he 
was first inaugurated Presi- 
dent, and in 1893 for a sec- 
ond tei-m," said Ray. 

" When was he mar- 
ried ? " asked Ruthie. 

"June 2, 1886, at the 
White House. His wife was 
Frances Folsom, daughter 
of a former law partner," 
answered Nettie. 
BENj.wiv n\RRi-^(iv. " He has been rather 

noted for using his power to veto, but he has done his duty — as he saw 
it — unflinchingly. It has been said that he listens to the counsel of 
all, then does as it seems best.He is persistent, if not a trifle obstinate." 
" His sister was mistress of the White House when he first went 
there, was she not ? " asked Josie. 

" Yes, Rose Cleveland accompanied her brother to Washington and 
remained with him until after his marriage. She is quite noted as a. 
'lecturer and author. Except ]\Irs. Madison, Mrs. Cleveland was thc^ 
youngest mistress the White House ever had. She was also the first 
wife of a President married in the Executive Mansion. They have four 
children, three girls and a boy." 




\ 

GROVER CLEVELAND AND BENJ/^ MIN HARRISON. 157 

"Benjamin Harrison, twenty-tliird President, conies next — who 
is he ? " cried Charlie, incoherently. 

"He is the son of his grandfather," laughed Katie. 

" Where is the letter, mamma ? " whispered Nettie. 

Mamma Nelson laid an envelope on the table, with a mysterious 
smile. Each member of the Club looked at each other member with a 
glad little nod. 

" There have been three men, that we know about, called General 
Harrison," began Mamma Nelson. "The first one was hanged by order 
of Charles H, in 1660, as having been one of the the judges who tried 
Charles I, and signed his death warrant for treason to Parliament. He 
was a trusted friend of Cromwell's, and his descendents came to America 
to give us two Presidents." 

" And we don't know how many more will have that name," 
observed Jake, wisely. 

AN ILLUSTRIOUS ANCESTOR. 

" Very true. Benjamin Harrison, great grandfather of the Benja- 
min Harrison that we are talking about, was Governor of Virginia three 
times, and was one of the signers of the Declaration of Independence." 

"Mamma the letter ! What do you think, folks? — Benjamin 

Harrison is no relation to Pocahontas — isn't it too bad ? Read it, 
Mamma." Charlie could keep quiet no longer. 

Mamma Nelson drew a folded paper from the envelope on the table 
and read aloud : — 

" Dear Madam :— 

Replying to your query I have to say that General Harrison 
is descended from Benjamin Harrison the Signer, who married a Miss 
Bassett.'' 

" That settles the dispute," said Mamma Nelson positively. " And 
I confess that I was a little disappointed," she added, with a look at the 
circle of clouded faces. " I will tell you a story of him which is said to 
be perfectly true. Young Ben was just seven years old when the whole 



ir.s gru\i:r clevfxand and benjamin Harrison. 

coiinlry was slioutiug for 'Tippecanoe and Tyler too," and remembers 
one incident of that campaign, at least. He made a visit to Cincinnati 
with his grandfather and seeing the tempting stand of an old apple- 
woman he C00II3' filled his pockets with her best frnit and walked on.'' 




i£:' ' ^, .-1(1 --.I ..>1 ,a i L«l] Us 



Tin: v. S. POST office building. PHll,.-\DrLl-HlA. 

" Didn't he know better than that, IMamnia ? I would, and my 
grandfather isn't a president/' cried Charlie. 

"He knew no better or he wouldn't have done it. Apples were 
plenty and free at North Bend, and he didn't think that they were worth 
money in Cincinuatti." 

" What about his education ? " asked Jake. 

" It was begun at home, and then he went to the district school, and 
to a school near Cincinnati known as Farmer's College. Later he 
entered Miami University, at Oxford. O. He graduated when eighteen 



GROVER CLEVELAND AND BENJAMIN HARRISON. 159 

years old, and begun the study of Lt.\v. He was admitted to the bar, and 
married before he was of legal age." 

" Can you tell any more of his bo^-hood ? " asked Ruthie. 

"He helped with the work of his father's farm. It was a large one, 
and the produce was shipped to New Orleans in flat boats. He dis- 
tinguished himself very early as an off-hand debater. It is said that 'at 
a town meeting, when an abolitionist abused Webster and Clay fcr the 
part which they took in the compromise measures of 1850, the citiz as 
were amazed to see a slender, tow-headed boj^ of seventeen moart a 
bench and make a vigorous speech in favor of the great statesmen. " 

" Was he well off? " asked Jake. 

" He began life with eight hundred dollars, left him b}' an r 

and his first home was a little one-story cottage. General Harrison wcut 
to the war as Colonel of the Seventieth Indiana Regiment, an 1 w as 
Brigadier General before the close of the Rebellion. At the close of his 
term of service he resumed his law practice, until 1881, when he was 
sent to the Senate, and held his place there for six years." 

O 
GREAT CAMPAIGN SPEAKER. 

" Had. says that he had the scarlet fever when he was ihirty- 
two years old. Did he?" asked Josie. 

" I am sure I don't know," laughed Mamma Nelson. " I did not iry 
to look up his ailments. His first wife died a short time before his 
re-nomination, and he was defeated. General Harrison was always a 
prominent speaker during campaigns. He has been called coLl and 
indifferent, bat people like him because they knew that they could irust 
him. He was a true American, of whom all true Americans are j ustl}' 
proud. His home life was very simple and pleasant, but he was too b' ' sy to 
waste time in idle conversation with strangers or curiosity si kers. 
Once a friend he was alwa^'S a friend. The children of his neight rhood 
called him Grand-pa Harrison." [ 

"Nettie, you said^.tkat his second wife was a niece of his fir t one, 
what was her name ? " asked Ray. 

"A 



160 GROVER CLEVELAND AND BErlJAMIN HARRISON. 

He was niuiried in April 1S96 to Mary Lord Dimick of New York. 
They have oue child, a girl, born iu 1S97. 

' What of his first wife, mamma ? " And did she have any children,?" 
asked Charlie. 

Her name was Caroline Scott, daughter of a professor in Miami 
University, afterwards President of Oxford Seminary. She died iu 
1892. They had two children, the son, Russell, lives in Montana, the 
daugi;ter Mary married a merchant iu Indianapolis, and is the mother 
of .' Haby McKee.' " 

You left out a part — I like it best of all — about Mrs. Harrison," 
said Nettie. "She was said to have been a highly educated woman, very 
iutel'.gent and intellectiial, with great artistic ability, a devoted wife and 
mother, as well as a remarkabl}' good housekeeper." 

DEATH OF GENERAL HARRISON. 

' Only one more evening," sighed Katie. '' I wish there were a thou- 
sand Presidents!" 

'■ r guess you would change your mind if you had to remember 
about them all," declared Benuie. 

'' Not if they were all good ones — as good as ours are," asserted 
Katie. 

Just then the news-boy left a paper at the door. 
"All about General Harrison's death, ma'am," he called to 
Mamma Nelson, and Charlie hastened to bring it in. 

" It is true," said ]\Iamma Nelson, softl}-. " A great and good man 
is lost to the American nation. He died March 13, 1901. President 
McKiuley ordered the doors of the Executive Mansion closed to 
all visitors, and would see no callers excepting on urgent business. 
He directed that the flags on every public building iu the United 
.Stairs ; at every army post iu ihc United States, Cuba, Hawaii, and the 
Philippines; and on every American warship, in whatever waters, should 

flv at half-mast for thirty days. He -^ • ' . of sympathy 

Harrison, and attended the func.u. i iic City of Washington 



GROVER CLEVELAND AND BENJAMIN HARRISON. 161 

was in mourning. Flags were at half mast, not onl}^ upon public 
buildings, but upon hotels, stores, and many private residences." 

Again Jake lingered after the others went away. 

" Father is that bad I don't know as I can come regular, ma'am," 
he said in a choked voice. " Seems as if he wasn't himself at all now, 
I — don't — know ." 

" Do the very best you can, my boy, and come as often as you can," 
replied Mamma Nelson, heartily. " Your place is always open to you." 

" And be sure to be here next Tuesday night, for it is the last of 
the Presidents — hearing about them, I mean. Why-e-e-e ! Did you 
think of it? We shall soon be at the end of our lessons," exclaimed 
Charlie, in surprise. 

" If I can come I will," returned Jake, slowly. But before an^cnet 
Club day something happened to postpone the meeting. Jake's father 
died in a drunken fit, and, while the boy could hardly mourn for him, he 
was alone in the world. 

"Jake is our boy now," declared Charlie, when the news reached the 
Nelson home. 

" If it could be so arranged," hesitated Mamma Nelson. 

" I think it can be," said Papa Nelson. That boy has the right 
kind of stuff in him — I have watched him. And I know of no bettei 
charity than helping such boys to help themselves. I can give him 
work enough to pay his way and enable him to feel independent. Per- 
haps we may shelter ' an angel unawares,' who knows ? That boy may 
be President of the United States some day ! " 

*' Can I go and tell him ? Can I ? " shouted Charlie. 

" Yes, bring him back with you — he has no other place, and is all 
alone," answered Papa Nelson. 

So it was that Jake found friends in time of need 
11 



WILLIAM McKINLEY 



AND 



THEODORE ROOSEVELT. 



cKINLEY next," exclaimed Charlie. "We can 

all tell something about him, for when he was 

assassinated we were all reading about him 

in the papers. And we can remember when he 

was elected." 

" Well, oegin by naming his birthplace, 
smiled Mamma Nelson. 

" It was Niles, Ohio, and he was born Jan- 
uary 29, 1843," '^^'3-S the ready answer. 

''And he died in Buffalo, N. Y., September 
14, 1901," added Nettie. 

"Right, who will tell me his nationality ?" 
asked Mamma Nelson. 

" He was an x'Vmerican," declared Hadley. 
!^; " But his ancestors were Scotch-Irish and Ger- 
►si^^ man." 

"And he inherited great energy and perse- 
verance from this ancestr}'," nodded Josie. "He 
had also great intellectual ability, and he was a 
student when the Civil War broke out." 

" My father says that he had more real knowledge of the questions 
of the day than— than — almost any other President ever had," asserted 
Bennie. 

" I read that he was before the public almost thirty years ; that he 
was considered a typical American ; and that he was a self-made man, 
who saw many ups and downs in political life," added Ray. 

"All of which is true," Mamma Nelson went on. "His earliest 
162 




WILLIAM McKINLEY AND THEODORE ROOSEVELT. 



163 



education was that of the common schools, then he entered the Academy 
at Poland, Ohio. In i860 he entered Allegheny College, but gave up 
his studies on account of ill health, taught a country school, and was 
clerk in the Poland postoffice. At the battle-cry of Freedom he enlisted 
las private in the Twenty-third Ohio Regiment, and remained with it 
throughout the war." 

"He was promoted to Captain in 1864, and was Brevet-Major when 
discharged. And every pro- 
motion was for gallant, sol- 
dierly conduct," declared 
Josie. 

"At the battle of An- 
tietam he carried meat and 
coffee to the soldiers under 
fire, and Colonel Rutherford 
B. Hayes, afterwards Presi- 
dent, recommended him for 
promotion then," added 
Ruthie. 

"He was with Sher- 
in his campaign 



man 




through the Shenandoah 

Valley ; at Appomattox, WILLIAM McKINLEY. 

when Lee surrendered to Grant, and was honorably discharged July 26, 

1865," said Nettie. 

"At one battle he saved a regiment which was being cut off by the 
enemy. By order of General Hayes he went, over fences and ditches, 
under a well directed fire from the watchful Confederates, while no one 
expected to see him return. Yet he led the regiment to safety, perform- 
ing one of the most gallant acts of the Rebellion," nodded Josie. 

"Yes, he passed through the war, winning promotion by his daring 
bravery, fought in many hard battles, and died by the haudof an assassin ! " 
sighed Ray. 



164 WILLIAM McKINLEY AND THEODORE ROOSEVELT. 

" He was auotlier lawyer ! " exclaimed Bennie. " Almost all of 'em 
were." 

"Yes, lie was admitted to the bar wliile lie lived iu Canton, Ohio, 
where he married Ida Saxton in 187 1. She was the daughter of a banker 
there, and quite a romance might be made of their courtship. They 
were playmates ; firm child-friends ; and 3'outliful lovers. The bond 
between them, — his care for her and her love for him, — has been a 
beautiful lesson to all. They had two children, girls, but both died in 
childhood, and Mrs. McKinley has been a semi-invalid since their death." 

" Then there were no ' Children of the White House ' wliile he was 
President," said Katie regretfully. 

"No children, perhaps, but plenty of young company from the rela- 
tives of the President and his wife, as well as their friends, and they 
always received a cordial welcome," said Nettie quickly. 

THE PRIDE OF HIS MOTHER. 

"How his mother must have loved him ! What a pit}'^ that she did 
not live to enjoy his honors with him," said Ray. 

" She certainly did love her gifted son. She was once asked if 
she was not proud to see him made President of the United States, and 
she made this characteristic reply : ' I am proud to be the mother of my 
boy,' " returned Ruthie. 

"What has his public record been? " asked Hadle}-. 

" He was a soldier four years ; a Congressman four terms ; author 
of the famous McKinley Bill ; and twice Governor of Ohio," answered 
Charlie. 

" Wasn't he a lecturer ? " asked Nettie, 

" He excelled as an orator, and a man who knew him for many 
years once said of him ' William McKinley was quiet, dignified, modest, 
and considerate of others ; true as steel to his friends ; unhesitating at 
the call of duty, no matter at what sacrifice ; with a heart full of sj-m- 
path)' for those who toil ; a disposition unspoiled by success ; and a 
private life equally spotless, — one of the finest tA'pes of courageous, 



WILLIAM McKINLEY AND THEODORE ROOSEVELT. 165 

persevering, vigorous and developing manhood that this Republic has 
ever produced.' " 

" If he was all of that he was good enough to be the President of 
our United States," nodded Bennie. 

"Why was he in Buffalo ?" asked Josie. 

" September 6, 1901, was President's Day at the Pan-American 
Exposition, and President McKinley had just finished his last speech on 
earth, the concluding words of which were : — 'Our earnest prayer is that 
God will graciously vouchsafe prosperity, happiness and peace to all our 
neighbors, and like blessings to all the peoples and powers of earth.' '' 

" Then he was shot by Leon Czolgosz, an avowed anarchist, for no 
Jetter reason than that he didn't like our government ! He was at liberty 
to move out — if he wasn't satisfied," cried Raj' indignantly. 

WENT PURPOSELY TO COMMIT MURDER. 

"He owned that he went to the Temple of Music for the purpose 
of killing the President, first wrapping a handkerchief around his hand 
to conceal the deadly weapon which he carried. Then he took his place 
in the line of people who were proud of a chance to grasp the hand of 
our ruler, and deliberately^ shot the President as he extended his hand 
towards him and smiled ! We may pity the man when we think of his 
fate, but sympathize with him — never !" 

"I should say not ! " exclaimed Jake. "He fired two shots and 
would have emptied his revolver if he had not been knocked down by 
the enraged bystanders. He was worse than a rattle-snake, for a snake 
does give warning before it strikes." 

"They ought to have had the trial and execution of Czolgosz so 
secret that no living person, except the necessary ofiEcials, would ever 
know his end. Such a mystery would strike terror to those who might 
be tempted to follow his example. Men can summon desperate courage 
for desperate deeds when they expect notoriety and a hero's name, but 
few could be found to dare such a thing with the prospect of utter ' 
oblivion and detestation before them," said Charlie. 



166 WILLIAM Mckinley and throdore roosevelt 

" He was seutenced to the electrical chair iu Auburn Prison, and 
when he arrived there, he was so overcome that he admitted his terrible 
mistake, acknowledged that he had a fair trial, and expressed sorrow for 
his deed," added Nettie. 

"Pit}' he hadn't been sorry before it was done!" ejaculated Hadley. 
"He was electrocuted at Auburn prison October 29, 1901. I think that . 
Congress had better make more laws as soon as possible, if we have none 
that will reach the anarchists. This is the fourth or fifth attempt to 
kill a President of the United States. Nothing was proved, although 
much talk was made aboiit foiil play when William H. Harrison died. 
General Jackson defended himself when an attack was made on his life. 
But Lincoln, Garfield and McKinley were killed — three of the seven 
elected Presidents since 1864 ! Isn't it time something was done?" 

LIVE FOR THE GOOD WE CAN DO. 

" What an awful — awful thing it is to be President ! " breathed Josie. 

" Not so, my dear child," returned Mamma Nelson decidedly. " We 
live for the good which we can do for mankind, and, in the interests of 
humanity, an individual life, even though it be the highest iu the land, 
is but a small thing, although we count it great. William McKinley 
will stand in history as one of those rare, noble men who could find pity 
for an enemy, even with the shadow of death upon him. The one fact 
that, through so many years of public life, not one breath of scandal has 
ever touched his private life, added to his tender, chivalrous devotion to 
his mother and wife, has endeared him to every true American. His life- 
work closed with all the tenderness and thoughtfulness which has char- 
acterized his course, and foreign nations, with our own, mourn his loss." 

"He was buried at Westlawn Cemetery, at Canton, Ohio, but what 
he said of Washington may well be said of him, ' The nation is his best 
eulogist and his noblest monument,' " said Ruthie. 

" When Lincoln was killed 3'ou thought that the countrj^ was going 
to destruction, — what do you think of McKinley, Mamma Nelson ? " 
asked Ray. 

" Our country is too great and powerful for an3'thing serious to 



WILLIAM McKINLEY AND THEODORE ROOSEVELT. 167 

follow even the assassination of a President. Another saying of 
McKinley is that ' A goverment like ours rests upon the intelligence, 
morality and patriotism of its people.' " 

"And, as Garfield said when Lincoln was killed, 'God reigns and 
the government at Washington still lives,' " added Charlie. 

"I found this verse in 'Famous Men and Women,' " said Bennie, 
as he repeated : — 

" ' Weep not for him who departing leaves millions in tears ; 
Not for him who has died full of honor and years ; 
Not for him who ascended Fame's ladder so high 
From the round at the top he has stepped to the sky.' " 

THE NEW PRESIDENT. 

" Theodore Roosevelt is President now. What can you tell me 
about him ?" asked Mamma Nelson. 

" He is descended from a Dutch immigrant on his father's side ; 
his father's mother was Irish, his own mother was a daughter of James D. 
Bullock, of Georgia, a family of Scotch and Huguenot origin," answered 
Katie. 

" Go on, Jake, that is not all." 

" He took the oath of office and became President of the United 
States at 3.35 p.m., September 14, 1901, declaring that he would con- 
tinue the policy which President McKinle}^ began for the peace and 
prosperity and honor of our beloved country, and retains the old 
Cabinet, for a time at least," added Jake. 

" A new line of Presidents begins, for the Civil War is but history 
to him, while all of our later rulers won distinction in it before being 
called to the head of the nation. He was born in New York, October 27, 
1858, and unlike most of his predecessors, he came from a wealthy 
family. The White House has given the world a striking proof that all 
men are created free and equal, and reach its portals by their own 
exertions, and are judged by their own merits. He graduated from 
Harvard College, and he has advanced, step by step, from Police 



168 



WILLIAM McKINLEY AND THEODORE ROOSEVELT. 



Commissioner of New York to the presidential cliair. I need not tell 
you Bis record as one of the famous ' Rough Riders ' who did such 
gallant work in Cuba during our war with Spain. Bennie, can you give 
us an account of his public service so far." 

" Mr. Roosevelt graduated from Harvard College in 1880," Bennie 
began. " He served three times in the legislature ; was an author as 

well as a statesman ; went to 
W3'oming as a ranch owner in 
1884, but did not find cattle 
raising ver}^ profitable. He was 
head of the Police Department 
in New York in 1S94. In 1897 
he was Assistant Secretary of 
the Navy ; in 1898 he was 
Colonel of the ' Rough Riders ' 
in Cuba ; in September of that 
year he was Governor of New 
York ; in 1900 he was elected 
as Vice-President ; and he be- 
came President in 1901." 

"Just before the war, when 
he was Assistant Secretary of 
the Navy, he asked for and 
obtained $950,000 to put the 
THEODORE ROOSEVELT. equipments of the marines into 

proper order, and to buy ammunition for gun practice, saying that, 
sooner or later, we should have to fight Spain, and it was best to be 
prepared. It was a costly but a very wise expenditure. Without this 
practice in gunnery Cervera's fleet would not have been destroyed, and 
Dewe3''s victory would never have been won," asserted Hadle3\ 

" I read that very few men of any nation had ever made as good a 

record in public life, at so young an age as he," said Bennie reflectively. 

" When he was young his health was so poor that his folks did not 




WILLIAM McKINLEY AND THEODORE ROOSEVELT. 169 

think that he would live to grow up, so he got the cattle ranch in 
Wyoming, and, if he didn't find it a profitable business he did find health 
in the free wild life out of doors," added Ra}'. 

" Roosevelt never does what the people expect him to do," said 
Josie. "No one knows what he will do next." 

" But j-ou ma}^ be sure that it will be something for the good of 
our country," nodded Ruthie. " No American will ever have to blush 
for his deeds." 

" I suppose the position sobers a man and enlarges his ideas," mused 
Charlie. "It will be likely to check his impulsiveness, even if the 
President of the United States can not have his ovi^n way in everything, 
as kings do." 

"Can you tell us nothing about his early life, Mamma Nelson ? " 
asked Katie, eagerly. 

A MAN OF MANY ACHIEVEMENTS. 

"President Roosevelt has been a cow-boy, a traveler, a writer, a 
reformer, a soldier and a statesman, and it is comparatively easy to 
trace his steps through these changes, but we have not room for a full 
biography." 

" He got the name of Teddy at Harvard College," declared Ray. 
"It was when he gave the bully of the college a scientific thrashing, — 
he couldn't help it. Mamma Nelson — much to the surprise and gratifi- 
cation of his fellow students." 

" And he shot a bear out West which weighed over twelve hundred 
pounds!" added Jake. "He did not write his books of hunting from 
the experience of other people." 

"When he was Police Commissioner of New York he iised to go 
the rounds very quietly to see if his men were doing their duty. Dis- 
charges and promotions were the result of this investigation, and the 
city police learned caution," nodded Bennie. 

" He hated deceit and trickery. Once, when he was on his western 
ranch, he saw one of his men about to put his mark upon an unbranded 



170 WILLIAM McKINLEY AND THEODORE ROOSEVELT. 

steer, and immediately discharged him, for, he said, ' If j-oii will steal I 
for me you will steal from me, I can not trust you,' " said Charlie. 1|{ 

'*He has been married twice, hasn't he?" asked Katie. 

■'Yes, the present Mrs. Roosevelt was Miss Edith Carow, of New | 

York, a woman of high principles and more than average intelligence. 
' She dislikes notoriety as much as her husband does,and j^oung Theodore 
inherits it from both father and mother." 

" President Roosevelt and his wife were child-sweethearts, the same 
as the IMcKiuleys were, but their paths in life separated and he took 
another woman for a wife. After her death he met Miss Carow abroad 
and they were married," said Nettie. 

THE CHILDREN AT THE WHITE HOUSE. 

"The President's oldest daughter, Alice, is nearl}- eighteen years 
old, and is the only child of the first marriage. What are the names 
and ages of the others ?" asked Mamma Nelson. 

"Theodore, jr., is fourteen years old; Kermit is twelve; Ethel is 
ten ; Archibald is seven ; and Quentin is four years old," Nettie 
responded. 

" And they are going to the public schools just like any other chil- 
dren — the paper said so!" exclaimed Bennie. 

"Why not?" asked Ray coolly. "The}^ are children like all the 
rest of us, and there is no royalty, save that of worth, in our free America. 
Yes, and a fellow has to prove his right to that before he gets it !" 

" Don't be too sure about the royalt}-, my boy," laughed Hadley. 
" I saw it stated that President Roosevelt was descended, through his 
mother, Miss Bullock, from Prince Someled of Argj^le, — the real blood 
royal of Scotland!" 

"We will put that with the Pocahontas stor}-, and find out the truth' 
of it when we can," returned Ray. 

" One question more, — where is the Roosevelt home ?" asked Mamma 
Nelson. 

" At Sagamore Hill, Oyster Bay, Long Island," answered Nettie. 



THE STORY OF PORTO RICO, 

HAWAII, THE PHILIPPINES 

AND CUBA. 



• 41 SUPPOSE yoit would like to hear about other things now," 
I smiled Mamma Nelson. 

"Oh, yes, — tell us something about Cuba, do," pleaded Katie. 

"And Porto Rico," added Josie. 

"And don't forget the Philippines," concluded Ray. 

"We are done with the Presidents, and this would be almost as 
good, — better'n nothing anyway. We want to keep on as long as we 
can," declared Bennie. 

" It would take many meetings of the club to tell you all you ask, 
my dears, but I will tell you a little of the historj' of the islands which 
have become a part of our nation. This seems to belong to the story of 
McKinle}^. Cuba is rightly called ' The Unhappy Isle,' for it has along 
history of wars, cruelty, and bloodshed. Can you tell me who discovered 
it, and when ?" 

" Christopher Columbus, in 1492. But he did not know w-hathe had 
fovind," said Jake. 

"Then how did he know that he had found it ? " laughed Bennie. 

" Wh}^ he thought that he had found that fabled countr}- described 
by Marco Polo, a part of the East Indies, instead of the West.''' 

" He didn't know Geography very well, did he ? " asked Charlie. 

" You must remember that no one knew of this hemisphere in those 

days. He anchored in a beautiful bay, west of Nuevitas de Priucipo, 

171 



172 STORY OF OUR NEW POSSESSIONS. 

and planted there a Spanish flag. That was the beginning of Spanish 
rule in Cnba." 

" What kind of people lived there then ? " asked Rnthie. 

" They were a gentle race of Indians, who did not make human 

'sacrifices, as the Mexican Indians did, and believed in a great and 

powerful God. In 151 1 the son of Columbus and Diego Velasquez, with 

three hundred men, made settlements in Cuba, one of which was Santiago 

de Cuba." 

" How large is the island ?" asked Kadley. 

" It is about seven hundred miles long in a curved line, one hundred 
and seventeen miles wide at the widest point, and twenty-one at the 
narrowest. It has many curious caves ; some silver and gold ; and rich 
copper mines ; but there is not capital and energy to develop them. 
Then there are fine slate quarries, plenty of iron, coal, and petroleum, 
and marble and jasper." 

" I suppose there are also plenty of snakes, tarantulas, and — and 
awful things," said Josie with a shudder. 

BEAUTIFUL BIRDS. 

" There are no savage wild beasts, but numerous birds of the most 
brilliant plumage ; there are plenty of fish, and enormous turtles, lizards 
and crocodiles ; not many snakes, but one thing which you would all 
like to see, — fire-flies so brilliant that they are used for lamps, and people 
read by their light." 

" That would be nice, for folks wouldn't have to clean lamps," 
laughed Rnthie. 

" But we want to hear about the war with Spain," suggested Ray. 

"Why you know all that now, you have heard it right along. I 
could tell 5^ou no more about the blowing up of the Maine; Dewey's 
splendid victory at Manila ; you could tell me all about Hobson and 
the brave men with him, who sank the Merrimac ; of the loss of brave 
Admiral Cervera's fleet ; and of the desperate fighting before Santiago. 
The war lasted but 105 days, but wars never can be measured by time but 



STORY OF OUR NEW POSSESSIONS. 173 

by the suffering which they cause. If the result is the end of cruel Spanish 
rule in America and Independence for poor Cuba, the sacrifice has not 
been in vain." 

"What of Porto Rico?" asked Nettie. 

"Porto Rico, or Puerto Rico, is the eastern and smallest of the four 
islands comprising the Greater Antilles, and belonged to Spain from 
1509 until 1S9S. It is one hundred miles long and forty miles wide, 
about three-fourths the size of Connecticut, having an area of about 
3700 square miles. It is almost rectangle in shape, transversed from 
east to west by a range of mountains 1500 feet in average height, the 
highest peak being 3670 feet above sea level. The climate is warm but 
not torrid, and is remarkably healthy ; the soil is very fertile and 
covered by rank vegetation — rare plants, palms, ferns, and flowers noted 
for lovely perfume as well as dazzling beauty, growing on every hand. 
About five-sixths of the island is cultivated, and highland rice is the 
staple food product." 

LARGE EXPORTS OF SUGAR AND COFFEE, 

"What are the exports?" asked Beuuie. 

"They amount to about $15,000,000 annually, of which sixty per 
cent, is coffee ; twenty per cent, is sugar, although some large sugar 
plantations have been turned into cattle ranges ; five per cent, is tobacco 
and it is of the finest quality ; and the remainder consists of cocoa, hides, 
sponges, honey, cabinet woods, etc. Cotton, noted for its strength, 
length of fibre, and whiteness, is also raised, with fruits and spices, 
cattle and sheep." 

" Are there any imports ? " asked Charlie. 

"More than the exports, being about $16,000,000, of which fifty per 
cent, are manufactured articles of cotton, wool, silk, and fancy goods, 
hardware and provisions of all kinds ; fifteen per cent, being rice ; ten 
per cent, fish ; ten per cent, meats and lard, and seven per cent, flour." 

"I have heard that the island is very densely populated,"said Josie. 

"It is. The population is estimated at from 800,000 to 1,000,000, 



174 STORY OF OUR NEW POSSESSIONS. 

of which throe-fifths are white, the remainder being black and mixed 
bloods. Slavery has not existed since 1873." 

"Do the}' have good roads, railwa)'s and telegraphs ?" asked Ray. 

"Tliere are about 250 miles of good wagon road, the military high- 
way beini;- tlie best ; 150 miles of railway, and 400 miles of telegraph. 
Among ihc most urgent needs for the future of Porto Rico are a 
thorough readjustment of propertj^ lines, better roads, harbor facilities 
and hotels." 

"You have not told us one word about the birds and animals yet," 
exclaimed Jake. 

"There are hundreds of varieties of land and water birds of finest 
plumage — the mocking bird, rubj', topaz, emerald crested humming bird, 
crimson maize bird and others,but there are not many wild animals, and 
the few are of the smallest varieties." 

"We want to know something of the Hawaiian Islands," suggested 

Ray. 

STORY OF CAPTAIN COOK. 

" I suppose you do, as the islands became a part of the United 
States in 1S98, our flag being raised there August 12th, of that year. 
They were discovered in 177S by Captain James Cook." 

" Who was killed and eaten b}' the cannibal natives !" cried Katie. 

"When?" asked Mamma Nelson. 

" Wh}- — e — e ! I guess it was in February, 1779, only a little more 
than a year after he discovered the islands. Don't you think that he was 
sorry that he found them ?" said Jake. 

"Perhaps, but his death began a great work, that of civilizing those 
same savage natives, although but sixteen per cent, of the original 
number are now there. The population consists of Hawaiians, mixed 
bloods, Japanese, Chinese, Portuguese, Americans, British, Germans, 
etc., etc." 

"Isn't a leper colony established on one of the islands?" asked 
Hadley. 

"Yes, on the northern part of Molokai, where all persons with that 



STORY OF OUR NEW POSSESSIONS. 



175 



dread disease are carried, never to see their homes again. The group 
consists of fifteen islands, eight of which are inhabited, and have an area 
of 6740 square miles, or about one-sixth as large as Ohio. They are in 
the same latitude as 
Cuba, and the climate 
is ver}' healthy and 
even, the thermometer 
having a range of only 
thirty degrees." 

"The largest vol- 
cano in the world is on 
Hawaii," cried Ra)-. 

" The largest act- 
ive one, yes; it is called 
Kilauea, and the island 
can boast of another in- 
teresting one. Manna 
Loa. The highest 
peak is jMunakee, 13,- 
S05 feet above sea 
level." 

" What are the ex- 
ports ?" asked Charlie. 

" Sugar is the 
most important, but 
rice, coffee, hides, ba- 
nanas and wool are 
also exported, while map OF THE PHILIPPINE ISLANDS, 

good wheat is raised in the highlands. Ninety per cent of the com- 
merce is with the United States." 

"Then we export their imports," nodded Josie. 

" Yes, and they consist of clothing, provisions, machinery, hardware, 
and timber. Live stock is raised to supply vessels with meat." 




176 STORY OF OUR NEW POSSESSIONS. 

"Are the birds beautiful there ?'' asked Nettie. 

" Very beautiful, but they have no sweet sougs. Nature equalizes 
things in this world of ours, my dears, and the plainest birds are those 
■which sing her sweetest praises." 

"And now we have come to the Philippines — hurrah! — Cousin Will 
is there !" ejaculated Nettie, eagerl)-. * 

'' ]Many American bovs are there. The Philippines were discovered 
b}' Magellan in'iSSi. He named them for Philip II. of Spain, and was 
killed b}- the natives." 

"I wouldn't want to live where it rains six mouths of the 3'ear," 

grumbled Bennie. 

FLOODS DURING RAINY SEASON. 

"The rainv season is from July i to October 31, when the rain 
comes down in torrents and the low lands are flooded. There are two 
other divisions of climate, the hot and the dry seasons. The hot season 
is from Alarcli to Jiiue, then the heat is very oppressive, and thunder- 
storms with hurricanes — the dreaded typhoons — are very frequent. 
The drj- season is from November to February or March, and, though 
fires are not needed, woolen clothing is not uncomfortable. The air is 
then clear and bracing and the sky usually cloudless." 

"I should think that the terrible tj-phoons would destroy everj-- 
thing," observed Hadley. 

" Oh no. Nature has a wonderful repair shop in the Philippine 
Islands, as in all tropical climates, and she soon covers all signs 
of ruin." 

" Did 3'ou sajr how manj^ islands, ma'am ? " asked Jake. 

" There are more than I2CX), estimated to contain about 115,000 
sqiiare miles. The most of these were subject to Spain, a few were 
governed by independent native princes, according to their own ancient 
laws and customs. Many of the smaller islands are uninhabited and 
some of them are rocky and barren. All of them are hilly, some moun- 
tainous and show evident signs of volcanic birth. There are many 
volcanoes, which have been active and destructive until quite recently." 



STORY OF OUR NEW POSSESSIONS. 177 

"The population is a mixed race, is it not ? " asked Katie. 

" There are few of the original negritos remaining, and the popula- 
tion is estimated at from 7,000,000 to 15,000,000, mostly Mala}- stock. 
The Tagals and Visayers are the most numerous of the native tribes, 
the Tagals being the ones with whom our soldier boys have oftenest 
met. These two tribes dwell in the cultivated lowlands and towns. The 
mountain regions are inhabited by negroes who greatly resemble the 
savage Alfoors of Papua, and genuine ' head hunters ' have been seen 
within thirty miles of Manila. There are few white residents when 
compared with the numbers of Mongolians and natives." 

" I suppose, as the islands are tropical, the forests, fruits and flowers 
are the same as in all hot countries ? " mused Josie. 

MAGNIFICENT FORESTS. 

" Certainly. Immense forests cover the mountain sides to their 
summits ; — ebony, iron-wood, cedar, sandal-wood, gum-tree, logwood aud 
bamboos, aud these are lashed together by the palasan, or bushrope, 
which often grows to be hundreds of feet in length. Blossoms and fruit 
are upon the trees the whole year, and cultivated fields yield a succession 
of crops. Among the fruit trees are orange, citron, bread-fruit, mango, 
cocoaniit, guava, tamarind aud rose-apple." 

" Of course there are other fruits ? " said Josie, iuquiriugl3^ 

"Bananas, pine-apples, plantains and smaller ones, while in the 
fields sugar-cane, cotton, tobacco, indigo, coffee, cocoa, cinnamon, vanilla, 
cassia, giuger, pepper, rice, maize, wheat and other plants and cereals 
may be found. Other productions are copra, mother of pearl, coral and 
amber, besides dyewoods and other valuable timbers." 

"What about Manila hemp ? " asked Bennie. 

" It is grown in Luzon, Samar, Leyte and Bahol, and largely 

exported. Hats, mats, baskets, musical instruments, ropes, carriages 

and furniture are among the manufactured articles, but cigar aud 

cigarette making furnish employment for a great many." 

"Do they find valuable metals ? " asked Ray 
12 '• 



178 



SIORV OK OUR N1';\V I'OSSKSSIUNS. 



"Some of the islamls aw believed to contain threat mineral wealth. 
Gold has been found, also fine beds of iron, cupper, limestone, variegated 
marbles, sulphur, saltpetre, quick silver and vermilion " 

"Do the Philippines export more than thev ini])ort ?" questioned 




STREET SCENE IN MAMl.A, I'll I l.IPriNK ISLANDS. 

"Oh yes. The exports consist mainly of sugar, hemp, coffee aud 
tobacco, to the amount of $2i,ooo,cxx), Avhilc the imports, chiefly rice, 
flour, wines, clothing, coal and petroleum, are only ;?i 1,000,000." 

" Do they have tigers and lions there ? " asked Bennie. 

" No, there are no beasts of prey excepting wild-cats ; other animals 
are oxen, buffalo, sheep, goats, hogs, harts, squirrels, and many kinds 
of monkeys. The jungles are full of snakes and lizards ; the rivers are 



STORY OF OUR NF.W POSSESSIONS. 



179 



full of crocodiles ; there are great spiders, tarantulas, white ants, mos- 
quitoes and locusts to annoy. lUil j;lcaniiug- fireflies, brilliant queen 
beetles, beautiful song-birds, turtle doves, birds of paradise, and inaiu' 
'kinds of lovely jjaroqucts. Hives of wild bees hant;- from l)ranclies 
beside hummingbirds' nests, and the sliore caverns arc filled witli edible 
swallows' nests. Some of 
these caves are also ten- 
anted by immense bats." 

" What kind i)f men 
are the Philippines any- 
way ? " asked Charlie. 

" Thus far our peo- 
ple have found 'the little 
brown men ' hard to un- 
derstand, and still harder 
to manage. They are 
said to be courteous and 
amiable, but capable of 
blood-thirst}' cruelty up- 
on any fancied provoca- 
tion. They have a high 
opinion of themselves, de- 
spise drunkenness, have 
great courage, but not 
high powers of organization. 
As they can take life easy they do so." 

"Tell us of Aguinaldo," pleaded Ruthie. 

" He is a full blood Tagal, of Malay descent, very prepossessing 
in appearance, and of more than ordinary intelligence. The Tagals 
are quick to learn, and eager to make enlightened pi'ogress, while the 
Moros, who live in Mindanao and the Zulu Islands, are born pirates, 
fanatical Mohammedans, and very fierce and untamable." 

" I should like to see Aguinaldo," said Jake. 




ADMIRAL Cl'.OKGE DFAVEY. 
They are sociable and very fond of music. 



180 



STORY OF OUR NEW POSSESSIONS. 



" You ma}* have tlie chance, for it is uot unlikel}^ that he will come 
to this country as a prisoner of war. January 28, 1901, he proclaimed 
himself dictator of the Philippines, and March 23 he was captured by 
United States troops." 

"And this ends the story of the Philippine war!" cried Katie. 

" Not so fast ! It was May i, 1S98, when Admiral Dewey destroyed 




Ui\IPT)K.M OF UNITED STATES MARINES AND NAVAL OFFICERS. 

Montojo's fleet, and before the new year came this government had paid 
Spain $20,000,000 for the privilege of continuing the fight which they 
began. The Malay race will not brook restraint, but are suspicious, 
sometimes treacherous. The more civilized tribes, with the foreign 
population, will probably recognize justice onl}^ when it is proven to 
them, while the wilder tribes will have to be conquered bj- superior 
strength and cunning, and I fear the lesson must be given more than 
once. It will cost money to subdue the Philippines, and beyond the 



STORY OF OUR NEW POSSESSIONS. 181 

value of treasure expended is a part of the young life of our nation. 
More than the millions of dollars are the stricken American homes, the 
blasted hopes, and the early graves of our Boys in Blue. If all this 
bring advancement to those far-away islands the sacrifice may not be 
wholly in vain." 

"Didn't the United States take other islands during the war?" 
asked Hadley. 

"Yes, the Ladroues, fifteen in number, but only five inhabited. 
They are about a thousand miles from Luzon, on the east, and were 
discovered by Magellan in 1521. June 21, 1898, the largest one, Guam, 
was seized by our government, and is still held as a coaling station, 
but Germany purchased the others from Spain the next year." 

WHERE THE PRESIDENTS WERE BORN. 

"Is there anything more about the Presidents, ma'am?" asked 
Jake. 

" Can any of you tell me what States they were born in ? " 

"Virginia furnished seven of them," answered Nettie, promptly. 

"Who were they ? Ah, I thought you could not name them. They 
were Washingto|i, jjefferson, Madison, Monroe, Tyler, W. H. Harrison 
and Taylor. Ohio comes next with five — who were they ? " 

"I don't believe we can tell that either, mamma — I can't seem to 
remember," faltered Charlie. "Yes, there are McKinley and Harrison, 
and ' 

" The others were Garfield, Grant and Hayes. North Carolina 
furnished three, can you name them ? " 

" I remember Johnson and Polk," exclaimed Hadley. 

"The third was Jackson, and there has always been a dispute about 
his birthplace. No writer has ever seemed quite sure whether Waxhaws 
was in North or South Carolina. New York gave us three presidents, 
and Massachusetts two — name them." 

"John Adams and John Quincy Adams from Massachusetts," said 
Jake, proudly. 



182 STORY OF OUR NEW POSSESSIONS. 

"VanBnreii, Fillmore and Roosevelt from New York, I think," 
faltered Benny. 

" There are five more from as many States. Can 3^011 tell me 
abont them ? " 

" Cleveland from New Jersey," cried Nettie. 

"Arthur from Vermont," added Josie. 

"Lincoln from Kentucky," said Katie, triumphantly. 

" Buchanan from Pennsylvania," nodded Ruthie. 

"One more," smiled Mamma Nelson, as they hesitated. 

"I think that one was Pierce from New Hampshire," faltered Ray. 

THE YOUNGEST PRESIDENT. 

" Right. Now tell me who the youngest President was." 

"Roosevelt — he was 42 when he became President," answered 
Charlie, with a laugh. " Oh, I am not so very smart, good people, I 
found mamma's list and learned it." 

"Confession is a good thing," smiled Mamma Nelson. " You may 
tell me what President was the oldest when he took his seat." 

" W. H. Harrison, who was 68." 

" Can you give the ages of the others ? " 

"I think so, but I must begin with Washington, who was 57; 
John Adams, 62 ; Jefferson, 58 ; Madison, 58 ; Monroe, 59 ; J. Q. Adams, 
58 ; Jackson, 62 : VauBuren, 55 ; W. H. Harrison, 68 ; Tyler, 51 ; Polk, 
50 ; Taylor, 65 ; Fillmore, 50 ; Pierce, 49 : Buchanan, 66 ; Lincoln, 52 ; 
Johnson, 57; Grant, 47 ; Hayes, 55; Garfield, 50; Arthur, 51 ; Cleve- 
land, 48 ; Harrison, 56 ; McKinle}-, 52, Roosevelt, 42. 

" That is very well, I will excuse you for finding mj' paper. Now 
tell me how many were farmers' sons, and how many became farmers 
when their public life was over." , 

"I looked that up last night, but I did not know 5^ou would ask 
about it," returned Charlie triumphantly. ' I couldn't find what the 
fathers of W. H. Harrison, Buchanan, Johnson, Hayes and Roosevelt 
did, but the fathers of Arthur and Cleveland were clergymen ; the father 



STORY OF OUR NEW POSSESSIONS. 183 

of Tyler was a judge ; Andrew Jackson's father was a linen weaver, and 
the rest, sixteen of them, were sons of farmers." 

"Some of the others were very poor, and some of the farmers had 
other trades, as Grant's father was a tanner as well as a farmer," said 
Ray. 

" Six of the Presidents became farmers, and three were almost her- 
mits before they died," said Bennie. 

" Can you tell me what the fathers of the ' White House Ladies ' 

did? 

THE FAMILIES OF THE PRESIDENTS. 

" The wives of Tyler, Polk, Taylor, Lincoln, Grant and Garfield 
were farmers' daughters," answered Ruthie. 

"Jackson's wife was the daughter of a land surveyor," nodded 
Bennie. 

"The fathers of Mrs. John Adams, Mrs. Fillmore and Mrs. Pierce 
were clergymen," said Katie. 

" Mrs. Madison was a Quaker, I do not know what her father did," 
said Hadley. 

" And we couldn't find out about the wives of J. Q. Adams, Van 
Buren, W. H. Harrison, Johnson and Roosevelt," declared Katie. 

"The fathers-in-law of Jefferson and Clevelend were lawyers, and 
McKinley's wife was the daughter of a banker," saidjosie. 

" Benjamin Harrison's first wife was the daughter of a college pro- 
fessor, and the father of Hayes' wife was a doctor," said Jake. 

" I think that Monroe's father-in-law was a British officer, and 
Arthur's was a naval commander," added Bennie. 

"Well done! I am proud of the White House Club, which is 
about to exist only in history and remembrance. I have asked you these 
questions to see if you were interested enough to goon with biographical 
history. I see that you are and I am very glad. I do not want to stop 
while there is anything to be learned." 

"Then we shall never stop, ma'am," laughed Jake. 

" You told us that you would look np all the nicknames of the 



184 STORY OF OUR NEW POSSESSIONS. 

Presidents, and I know that you have dune it. Tell tlu-m to ns, please," 
pleaded Charlie. 

TITLES GIVEN TO THE PRESIDENTS. 

!Marania Nelson took a paper from the table and read: 
"Washington was called 'The Father of His Country' and the 
' American Fabius ' ; John Adams, the ' Colossus of Independence ' ; 
Jefferson, ' the Sage of INIonticello' and ' Long Tom ' ; Madison, 
'Father of the Constitution' ; Monroe, 'Last Cocked Hat', (because he 
was the last President to wear the cocked hat of the Revolution); John 
Q. Adams, ' Old Man Eloquent ' ; Jackson, the ' Hero of New Orleans ' 
and 'Old Hickory' ; Van Buren, ' Little Van ' and the ' Little Magician' 
also 'King Martin, the First' ; W. H. Harrison, the 'Washington of 
the West ' and 'Old Tippecanoe' ; Tyler, 'Accidental President ' ; Polk, 
'Young Hickory' ; Taylor, ' Rough and Ready ' and 'Old Zack ' ; Fill- 
more, the 'American Louis Philippe' (becauseof his fancied resemblance 
to that French king) ; Pierce, ' Poor Pierce ' (pronounced Purse) ; 
Buchanan, 'Old Public Functionar}*' and 'Old Buck'; Lincoln, 'Honest 
Old Abe' and 'Father Abraham'; Johnson, 'The Tailor President'; 
Grant, ' Unconditional Surrender ' and American Caesar'; Hayes, Presi- 
dent de facto'; Garfield, 'The Teacher President' and 'The Martyr 
President'; Arthur, 'The First Gentleman of the Land' and ' Our 
Chef; Cleveland, 'The Old Man of Destiny' and 'Old Grover'; Harri- 
son, 'Backbone Ben' and' The Son of his Grandfather'; McKinle}', 
'The American Napoleon'; — that is all, just as I found it in James 
Grant Wilson's book, 'The Presidents of the United States'." 

IT IS GRIT THAT TELLS. 

" And Roosevelt is surely ' Our Teddy', and we're proud of him," 
added Charlie, triumphantly. 

"The most of 'em — the Presidents, I mean — worked their own way 
up, didn't they ? " asked Bennie slowly. 

"Yes, and that is the way with ever^' one — man, woman, or child, 
that succeeds in any calling. Many have the additional help of true 



STORY OF OUR NEW POSSESSIONS. 185 

noble ancestry, great wealth and influential friends, but always remem- 
ber this : — 

It is not so much genius that wins the race 

In the contest for glory or fame, 
As it is the posseseion of an inborn grace 
By a homely, significant name. 
Success is won by it ; 
Fame built upon by it ; 
This sturdy bull-dog grit ! 

Your ancestors may have been noble and great, 

And their virtues may fall unto you. 
These cannot avail, if but idly you prate, 
And leave the work which you have to do. 
Genius is tame to it ; 
Ancestry lame to it ; 
This sturdy bull- dog grit ! 

There was a silence for some moments, as each one thought some- 
what sadly that they had come to the last of their pleasant, instructive 
meetings. Then Bennie looked up with sparkling, hopeful eyes. 

" Couldn't we go on anyhow. Mamma Nelson ? " he cried eagerly. 
"Seem's as if we ought to know the history of our country as well as 
that of otir Presidents, and — and history books are so dry, — I can never 
study them." 

"Then the world is a big place, and we ought to know about it, btit 
how can we learn without you tell us ? We must go on," added Jake 
earnestly. 

"Perhaps so," smiled Mamma Nelson." After vacation is over we 
will see about it. Young folks must play as well as work, you know, 
and you have earned a rest." 



EARLY HISTORY OF AMERICA 




.-'lii^ 



IT IS a singular fact, tliat the principal Euro- 
pean nations owe their possessions in America 
to the enterprise and skill of Italian navigators, 
though not a single colony was planted b}^ the 
Italians themselves. Columbus opened to Europe a 
new world, and acquired for Spain a dominion wide and 
rich enough to satisfy even Castilian ambition, and 
his recompense was ingratitude, imprisonment, and an 
old age dishonored b}^ chains. Cabot, a Venetian in the 
English service, acquired claims upon the lasting 
remembrance of Great Britain, the granting of which he never realized. 
Verazzani, of Florence, explored America for the benefit of France, 
but Avhen sailing on a second expedition to this conntr}- perished at sea. 
Amerigo Vespucci, who was also a Florentine, though his name is 
imperishably associated with the New World, bought but an empty 
fame for himself and his country. 

Columbus sailed on his first voyage of discover}^, from the bar of 
Salte, a small island in front of the town of Huelva, early on the morning 
of the 3d of August, 1492. He directed his course in a south-westerl}' 
direction, for the Canarj^ Islands, and immediately commenced a minute 
journal of the voj^age, in the preface to which he recounted the motives 
which led him to the expedition. 

In the conclusion of this preface, he saA's, '' I intend to write during 
this voyage, very punctnall}', fromdaj- toda}-, all that I ma}' do, and see, 
and experience, as will hereafter be seen. Also, mj- sovereign princes, 
beside desribing each night all that has occurred in the da}-, and in the 
day the navigation of the night, I propose to make a chart, in which I 

will set down the waters and lands of the Ocean sea, in their proper 
186 



EARLY HISTORY OF AMERICA. 



187 



situations under their bearings ; and, further, to compose a book, and 
illustrate the whole in picture by latitude from the equinoctial, and longi- 
tude from the west ; and upon the whole, it will be essential that I should 




CHRISTOPHER COLUMBUS. 
forget sleep, and attend closely to the navigation, to accomplish these 
things, which will be a great labor." 

The first land that Columbus expected to meet was Cipango, which 
had been placed by geographers at the eastern extremity of India. This 
was the name given to the island now called Japan, b}^ Marco Polo, the 
celebrated Venetian traveller. The most extravagent accounts of the 



188 EARLY HISTORY OF AMERICA. 

riches of this country were given by the writers of that age, and the 
Admiral was anxious to proceed directly there. At sunrise, on Snndaj'-, 
the 7th of October, the Nina, which had outsailed the other vessels, on 
account of her swiftness, hoisted a flag at her mast-head, and fired a gun, 
as a signal of having discovered land. 

REWARD PROMISED TO FIRST DISCOVERER. 

There had been a reward promised by the King and Queen to the 
man who should first make this discovery ; and each of the vessels was 
striving very eagerly to get ahead, and obtain the promised recom- 
pense. As they found nothing of the land the Nina made signals for, 
the Admiral shifted his course, about evening, towards the west-south- 
west, with a determination to sail two days in that direction. The 
reason for making this change was from watching the flight of the birds. 
The Portuguese had discovered most of their islands in this manner, and 
Columbus noticed that the flocks which passed them all flew from the 
north to the south-west. He inferred from this that the land was situated 
in that quarter. 

After sailing a day or two, they found the air as soft as that of 
Seville in April, and wonderfully fragrant ; the weeds appeared very fresh, 
and many land birds were taken. The men, however, lost all faith in all 
signs of laud, and did not cease to murmur and complain. The Admiral 
encouraged them in the best manner he could, representing the riches 
they were about to acquire, and adding that it was to no purpose to com- 
plain ; for, having come so far, they had nothing to do but to continue, 
till, by the assistance of Heaven, they should arrive at the Indies. 

On the nth of October, they met with signs of land that could not 
be mistaken ; and all began to regain spirits and confidence. The crew 
of the Pinta saw a cane and a log, and picked up a stick, which appealed 
to have been carved with an iron instrument, a small board, and abund- 
ance of weeds that had been newly washed from the banks. The crew 
of the Nina saw other similar signs, and found, beside, a branch of a 
thorn full of red berries. Convinced by these tokens of the neighborhood 




COLUMBUS ADDRESSING HIS MEN DUk..;^^ ^ MUTINY ON BOARD HIS SHIP. 189 



190 EAKl.V HISTORY 01' AMICRICA. 

of land, Culiiuibus, after evening prayers, made an address to his crew, 
reminding them of the mcrcj^ of God in bringing them so long a voyage 
with snch fair weather, and euconragiug them b}^ signs that were every 
dajf plainer and plainer. 

He repeated the instrnctious that he had previously given, that when 
they had sailed seven hnndred leagues to the westward without discovering 
laud, they should lie by from midnight till day break. He told them 
that, as they had strong ho])es of fiuding land that night, every one 
should watcli in his place ; and, besides the thirtj' crowns a year, which 
the Spanish sovereigns had promised to the first discoverer, he would 
give him a velvet doublet. 

DAWN OF THE NEW WORLD. 

About ten o'clock thai evening, while Columbus was keeping an 
anxious look-ont from tlie top of the cabin, he thought he beheld a 
light glimmering ,it a great distance. Fearing that his hopes might 
deceive him, 1r called two of his companions to confirm him. One of 
them came in season to observe it, but the other was too late. It had 
disappeared. From this they supposed it might be the torch of some fisher- 
man, raised up and then suddenly dropped again. The}' were all confi 
dent of being near land. About two o'clock in the morning, the Pinta 
gave the signal of laud. It was first perceived by a sailor named 
Rodrigo de Trianna ; the thirty pounds a 3'ear were not granted to him. 
but to the Admiral, who had first seen the light in the midst of darkness, 
His son says, " that this signified the spiritual light he was spreading 
in those dark regions." 

When the daj'^ appeared, they perceived below them a large island, 
quite level, full of green trees and delicious waters, and, to all appear- 
ance, thickly inhabited. Numbers of the people immediateh' collected 
together, and ran down to the shore. They were very much astonished 
at the sight of the ships, ^hich they believed to be living creatures. 
The .ships im mediately' came to anchor. The Admiral went ashore in 
his boat, well armed, and bearing the royal standard. The other cap- 



192 EARLY HISTORY OF AMERICA. 

tains each took a banner of the green cross, containing the initials of the 
names of the King and Queen on each side, and a crown over each letter. 
The Admiral called upon the two captains, and the rest of the crew who 
landed, to bear witness that he took possesion of that island for his 
sovereigns. Thej^ all gave thanks to God, kneeling upon the shore, 
shedding tears of jo_v for the great mercy received. 

VISITS FROM THE NATIVES. 

The Admiral rose, and called the island San Salvado. The Indians 
called it Guanahani, and it is now called Cat Island, and belongs to the 
group of the Bahamas. Many of the natives came down to witness this 
ceremony. The}" were very peaceable and quiet people, and the Admiral 
gave them some red caps, glass beads, and a few other trifles of small 
value, with which they were much delighted. The}^ imagined that the 
strangers had descended from heaven, and valued the slighest token 
they could receive from them, as of immense worth. 

When the Admiral and his companions returned to their vessels, 
the natives followed them in large numbers. Some swam ; others went 
in their canoes, carrjdng parrots, spun cotton, javelins, and other 
articles, to exchange for hawks' bells, and strings of beads. They were 
generally young, of good stature, with thick and short black hair. 
Their features were good and their countenances pleasant, though an 
extreme highness of the forehead gave them rather a wild appearance. 

Some were painted black, others with white and red ; some on the 
face only, others over the whole bod}-. They had no knowledge of 
weapons and grasped the swords which were shown to them by the 
blades. Their javelins were made of sticks, with points hardened at the 
fire, and armed with fish bones instead of iron. They easily learned the 
words that were spoken to them. No beasts were seen upon the island, 
and no birds but parrots, in which the sailors and the Indians continued 
to trafi&c until night. 

Columbus pursued his voyage among the many green, fertile, and 



EARLY HISTORY OF AMERICA. 193 

populous islands which cluster in the seas he had reached. He had 
hoped to find great wealth of gold, and the information he received by 
signs from the Indians seemed always to confirm this opinion, and to send 
him on some expedition where he was confident of finding rocks sparkling 
with riches, and rivers flowing over golden sands. But he was con- 
tiniially deceived, or continually deceived himself. At an island they 
called Isabella, he remained several days in the vain expectation of pro- 
curing some gold. The Indians had told his people stories of a rich 
king dressed in splendid garments, and covered with golden ornaments, 
and they were in hopes that he would be civil enough to visit them, and 
bring a great many valuable things with him. But no person of that 
description appeared, and they began to grow tired of waiting ; and 
taking in a fresh supply of water, the}^ set sail for some other island, in 
search of the rich king and the gold mines. 

DIRECTED HIS COURSE TOWARD CUBA. 

They directed their course towards Cuba, where they felt sure of 
finding the land of spices, silks and precious metals, of which they were 
in quest. With this island they were exceedingly delighted, though they 
still found it by no means the promised land. On the northern coast 
they sailed into a beautiful river, twelve fathoms deep at its mouth. The 
banks of the river, upon both sides, were covered with trees of a most 
rich and luxuriant foliage, and with beautiful shrubs and flowers of every 
description. They ascended the river some distance, and the Admiral 
said it was exceedingly pleasant to behold the delightful verdure which 
presented itself, and to listen to the songs, and admire the variegated 
plumage of the birds. The island was full of pleasant mountains, and 
the grass grew, long and green, down to the very edge of the water. 

On the 24tli of December, the weather being very calm, and the 
vessel lying about a league off" the Holy Cape, Columbus, at about eleven 
o'clock at night, retired to rest. It was so very calm, that the man whocn 
the Admiral had left in charge of the helm, contrary tc express orders, 
committed it to a boy, and went to sleep. Columbus says that the sea 

13 



194 EARLY HISTORY OF AMERICA. 

was as still as water in u dish, so that there was not a S3amau awake on 
board of the ship, when the current carried them directly upon brealcers 
that were roaring with a noise that might have been heard a league off. 
As the rudder struck, the fellow at the helm cried out, and Colui ibus 
immediately awoke and ran upon deck. The master whose watch it was 
tliL-n came out, and the Admiral ordered him and the other sailors to 
take the boat, and carry out an anchor astern. 

Instead of obeying his command, they immediately rowed off to the 
other caravel, at that time half a league distant. On perceiving this 
desertion, Columbus ordered the masts to be cut away, and the vessel 
lightened as much as possible. But all was in vain ; she continued fast 
aground, and was rapidly filling with water. The men on board the 
other caravel would not receive the deserters in the boat, but obliged 
them to put back to their own ship. As it was impossible, by this time, 
to preserve the vessel, Columbus was only anxious to save the men. 
They went to the other caravel, and on the succeeding day, with the 
assistance of the natives, and their canoes, they preserved everything 
of value. The Indians were very honest and kind, everything being 
guarded by them with extreme care, at the express order of the King. 
They lamented as much as if the loss had been their own. 

GREAT FEAST ON SHORE. 

The chief King of the place gave the adventurers three houses, in 
which to store the articles they had saved from tlie wreck. Perceiving 
the desire of the Admiral to prociire gold, he informed him tliere was a 
place in the neighborhood where it might be found in large quantities. 
Columbus entertained the King on board of the caravel, and received an 
invitation to a feast upon shore. The Indian monarch treated the 
Admiral with every honor, feasting him with several sorts of shrimps, 
game, and other viands, and with the bread which they called cassavi. 
He afterwards conducted him into an arbor near his house, where they 
w^re, attended by more than a thousand persons. 

The King wore a shirt and a pair of gloves, which Columbus had 




COLUMBUS RECEIVING NATIVES ON BOARD HIS SHIP 395 



196 EARLY HISTORY OF AMERICA. 

presented to him, and with which he was very much pleased. He was 
very neat in his manner of taking food, rubbing his hands with herbs, 
and washing them after the repast. The}' then went down to the shore, 
when Columbus sent for a Turkish bow and some arrows. These were 
given to one of his crew, who happened to be ver}' expert in tlieir use. 
The people were astonished with this exhibition, as they knew nothing 
of these weapons ; but they spoke of some people called " Caribs," who 
were accustomed to come and attack them with bows and arrows. Upon 
which Columbus told the King, that the sovereigns of Castile would send 
people to fight against the Caribs, and take them prisoners^. 

ASTONISHED BY THE GUNS. 

By order of Columbus, several guns were then fired. The King 
was astonished, and his followers were very much frightened, falling upon 
the ground in terror and wonder. Afterwards a mask was brought, with 
pieces of gold at the eyes and ears, and in other places. This was given 
to the Admiral, together with other jewels of gold, which were placed 
upon his head and neck. Many other presents were also made to the 
Spaniards. All these things contributed to lessen the grief of the 
Admiral at having lost his vessel ; and he began to be convinced that 
the accident had providentially happened, in order that this place might 
be selected for a settlement. 

Many of his crew were very desirous to remain, and the Admiral 
accordingly chose a situation for a fort. He thought this uecessar}-, 
because the territory was at such a distance from Spain, that the natives 
ought to be held " in obedience, b}- fear as well as b\- love." The 
Spaniards were so active in building the fort, and the Indians so diligent 
in assisting them, that it was erected in ten days. A large vault was 
dug, over which a strong wooden tower was built, and the whole sur- 
rounded by a wide ditch. 

In the account of the voyage, drawn up for his sovereigns, Colum- 
bus says that he hopes, on his return from Castile, to find a ton of gold 
collected by the men left here, by trading with the natives ; and that he 



EARLY HISTORY OF AMERICA. 197 

believes they will have discovered mines and spices in sucli abundance, 
that before three years, the King and Queen may undertake the recovery 
of the Holy Sepulchre. " For I have before protested to 3-our majesties," 
says he, " that the profits of this enterprise shall be employed in the 
jonqtiest of Jen\salem, at which your majesties smiled, and said you were 
pleased, and had the same inclinations." 

COLUMBUS RETURNS FROM HIS VOYAGE. 

Commbus left thirty-nine men in the island, with seed for sowiug, 
and provision to last a twelvemonth ; he left there also the long boat of 
the ship, and goods to traffic with. To the fortress, the adjacent village, 
and the harbor, he gave the name of La Navidad, or the Nativitj^, in 
memory of their having escaped the perils of shipwreck on Christmas 
day. After cruising about among the islands till the i6th of January, 
they set sail directly for Spain. After one or two violent storms, a visit 
to St. Mary, one of the Azores, a penitential pilgrimage to a hermitage 
on that island, and an interview with the King of Portugal, at Valpa- 
raiso, Columbus entered and anchored in the harbor of Palos, on the 
15th of March. 

After receiving the congratulations of his friends at Palos, Columbus 
immediately set out to meet his sovereigns, whom he found at Barcelona. 
To this place, he made a sort of triumphal entry, surrounded by the 
haughty nobility of Spain, vying with each other in the honors they 
could pay to the discoverer. He was received publicly by the sovereigns, 
in a splendid saloon, seated on the throne, and encircled by a magnificent 
court. On his entrance they rose to greet him, and would hardly allow 
him to kiss their hands, considering it too unworthy a mark of vassalage. 

Columbus then gave an account of his discoveries, and exhibited 
the different articles which he had brought home with him. He 
described the quantity of spices, the promise of gold, the fertility of the, 
soil, the delicious climate, the never-fading verdure of the trees, the 
brilliant plumage of the birds in the new regions which his own enter- 
prise had acquired for his sovereigns. He then drew thtir attention to 



198 EARLY HISTORY OF AMERICA 

the six natives of tlie New World, whom lie liad brought with him, and 
described their manners and dispositions. He exhibited their dresses 
and ornaments, their rude utensils, their feeble arms, which corresponded 
with his discription of them, as naked and ignorant barbarians. 

To this he added, that he had observed no traces of idolatry or super- 
stition among them, and that they all seemed to be convinced of the 
existence of a Supreme Being, and concluded with saying, " that God had 
reserved for the Spanish monarchs, not only all the treasures of the 
New World, but a still greater treasure, of inestimable value, in the 
infinite number of souls destined to be brought over into the bosom of 
the Christian church. 

-Vfter certain preliminary negotiations with His Holiness the Pope, 
and with the monarch of Portugal, both of whom felt much, inclined to 
possess a portion of the new territories, but did not know exactly how to 
obtain it, Columbus sailed on his second expedition to the New World on 
the 25th of September, 1493. On the 3d of November he made an island, 
which he called Dominica, as it was first discovered on a Sunday. Other 
islands were soon seen, and boats were sent ashore at some of them. 
They were of different shapes and aspects, some green and some woody, 
some covered with rocks of a bright azure and glittering white. To 
one of these groups he gave the name of Eleven Thousand Virgins. 

EAGER TO POSSESS THE NEW TERRITORIES 

On reaching La Navidad, at midnight Columbus gave orders that 
guns should be fired to apprise the colonists of their arrival, but no 
answering signal was given. A canoe soon afterwards came off to the 
fleet, and inquired for the Admiral. The Indians i-efused to come on 
board until they had seen and recognized him. When questioned about 
the Spaniards who had remained there, they said that some of them had 
been taken sick and died, and that some had quarrelled, and gone away 
to a distant part of the island. The Admiral concealed his surmises iu 
i-espect to their fate, and dismissed the natives with some trifling presents 
to their king, Guacanagari. 



EARLY HISTORY OF AMERICA. 199 

On tlie next day lie found but little reason to doubt as to tlie fate of 
the colonists. When the Admiral landed, he found all the houses in the 
neighborhood burnt, and the fort entirely destroyed. The only remain- 
ing tokens of the history of the colonists were elevf;n dead bodies, with 
some torn garments, and broken articles of furniture. They discharged 
'all the cannon and musketry of the fleet at once in hopes that the sound 
1 might reach the ears of some concealed wanderer, who still survived to 
tell the fate of his companions. But it was in vain. 

Columbus was soon visited by Guacanagari, the King, who pretended 
to have been wounded in a descent of the Caribs, but who was suspected 
by the Spaniards of having been concerned in the slaughter of their 
countrymen. He was, however, dismissed in safety, and it was not till 
subsequent circumstances in some measure confirmed their suspicions 
that the Admiral sent out a party to reconnoitre the island and take him 
prisoner. They scoured the shores, and the lighter caravels entered far 
into the windings of the rivers. Maldanado was at the head of this 
expedition, and, with his party, was going towards a high house they saw 
at a distance, where they supposed the cacique might have taken refuge. 

ARMED WITH BOWS AND ARROWS. 

"And as he was going," says Peter Martyr, "there met him a man 
with a frowning countenance and a grim look, with a hundred men fol- 
lowing him, armed with bows and arrows, and long and sharp stakes 
like javelins, made hard at the ends with fire ; who, approaching towards 
our men, spake out aloud with a terrible voice, saying that they were 
Taini, that is, noble men, and not cannibals ; but when our men had 
given them signs of peace, they left both their weapons and fierce- 
ness. Thus, giving each of them certain hawks' bells, they took it for 
so great a reward that they desired to enter bonds of near friendship with 
us, and feared not immediately to submit themselves under our power, 
and resorted to our ships with their presents." 

It was learned that Guacanagari had retired to the mountains ; and 
on this intelligence, the fleet sailed from Navidad to Monte Christi. The 



200 EARLY HISTORY OF AMERICA. 

Admiral intended to steer towards the east, and establish a colony at the 
harbor of La Plata. Bnt being detained by contrary winds, the fleet 
finally came to anchor in a haven about ten leagnes west of Monte 
Christi, where there seemed to be a very fine sitnation for a colony. The 
soil was fertile, and the snrrounding sea abounded in fish. Behind it 
were impenetrable woods, and the rocks below it might be easily crowned 
with a strong fortress.. This was the place, therefore, chosen for the 
new settlement. 

A chapel was immediately erected, in which a Catholic festival was 
for the first time, celebrated on the 6th of January, 1494. The public 
buildings of the new town were erected of stone ; the private houses were 
built of wood, and covered with grass and leaves. Seeds were sown, 
which sprung up with great rapidity. The neighboring Indians assisted 
them in building their houses, and provided them food with the greatest 
diligence and zeal. Columbus called the new settlement Isabella, in 
honor of tht distinguished patron of his expedition. 

MAKING NEW DISCOVERIES. 

On the second of February, a fleet was dispatched to Spain, to com- 
municate the progress of discovery, and the existing condition of affairs. 
The Admiral was now doomed to be the victim of new troubles. He was 
sick, and during his illness, a mutinjr broke out among the discon- 
tented, who laid a plan to return to Spain, and prefer formal charges 
against Columbus. On recovering from his illness, and learning about 
the plot, he confined the ringleader, and inflicted some light punishment 
on the accomplices. Having thus arranged matters at the new settle- 
ment, he set out for the gold mines in the interior. After establishing 
a fortress, and leaving fifty-six men at St. Thomas, and sailing along 
the northern coast of Hispaniola, in the hope of obtaining an interview 
with Guacauagari, Columbus continued his course to Cuba, where he 
entered a spacious harbor to which he gave the name of Puerto Grande. 

Still sailing along the coast, the Indian men, Avomen and children, 
continually crowded to the shore, bringing whatever they could find to 



EARLY HISTORY OF AMERICA. 201 

barter for beads and bells. All inquiries after gold tliey answered by 
pointing toward the south. While sailing in this direction, they reached a 
beautiful island, which still retains the Indian name of Jamaica. It was 
found to be very populous and pleasant. On attempting to land, 
they were met by a large number of canoes, filled with armed Indians, 
who resisted their approach, darting arrows and javelins, and setting up 
menacing shouts. Columbus ordered a few shot to be fired among them ; 
ind a large dog let loose, which occasioned great terror and confusion. 
- On the following day, however, they again resorted to the shore, 
and engaged in traificing with the Spaniards. Most of them were 
painted with various colors, wearing feathers upon their heads, and palm 
leaves upon their breasts. Some of their canoes were ornamented with 
carved work and paintings. These boats were each made out of a single 
trunk, and many of them were of great size. One was found to be ninety- 
six feet long and eight broad. Columbus now bore off for Cuba resolv- 
ing to sail several hundred leagues along the coast, and discover whether 
it were really the continent. A large group of islands, vli rough which 
his ships now passed, he called the Queen's Garden. When coasting . 
along Cuba, he frequently sent boats ashore, with several men, who 
might inform themselves of the character and products of the country, 
and inquire of the natives as to its extent. 

CATCHING FISH WITH OTHER FISH. 

While thus engaged, they saw a singular manner of taking fish 
among the natives of one of the islands of Queen's Garden. " Like as we 
with greyhounds do hunt hares in the plain fields," says Peter Martyr, 
"so do they, as it were, with a hunting fish take other fishes." This 
fish was of a form unknown before to the Spaniards, having on the back 
part of the head a very rough skin. The creature is tied by a cord to 
the side of the boat, and let down into the water. When the Indians see 
any great fish or tortoise, the cord is loosened, and the hunting fish 
fastens upon it, retaining its hold with so much force that the prey is 
drawn with it to the surface of the water, and there secured. 



202 EARLY HISTORY OF AMERICA. 

Columbus pursued his voyage till lie had sailed along the coast of 
Cuba three hundred and thirty-five leagues. The natives could not tell 
him the extent of the country, though they knew that it exceeded twenty 
days' travelling. Comparing these circumstances with his previous 
notions, he arrived at the conclusion that '' this country was the begin- 
ning of India, which he had intended to come to from Spain." He 
caused this decision to be published onboard the three ships, and all the 
seamen and most skilful pilots fully concurred with him in the opinion. 
They all declared under oath that they had no doubt upon the subject. 

STOPPED WHILE NEARING THE GOAL. 

The Admiral also swore to his belief, and the clerk formally attested 
it, on board of the Nina, on the 12th of June. At this very time, a ship- 

« 

boy from the mast-top could have seen the open sea be^-ond the islands 
to the south ; and if Columbus had continued his course in that direction 
but a single day more, he would have arrived at the end of his imagined 
continent. But in this error he lived and died : supposing Cuba the 
extremity of the Asiatic continent. 

The Admiral relinquished all further examination of the coast, and 
stood south-east to an island which lie named Evangelista. He here 
became enclosed in a large ba}', which he had supposed a channel open- 
ing to the south-east. The water in some places in this sea was as white 
as milk ; and according to one writer, there were sometimes such a mul- 
titude of tortoises that they arrested the progress of the ships. At 
length they were once more coasting along the beautiful and luxuriant 
shores of Cuba. Here Columbus sought for a pleasant and convenient 
harbor, where his weary crew might find refreshment and repose. 

An incident occurred here, while the Admiral was hearing mass 
upon shore, that is of considerable interest. An old man, of great dig- 
nity and gravity, came towards them, and behaved ver}- reverently all 
the time that the ceremony was going on. When the mass was over, he 
presented, with his own hands, to Columbus a basket of fruit, and when 
he had been some time entertained there, he requsted permissjcu lo speak 



EARLY HISTORY OF AMERICA. 203 

a few words througli the interpreter. The amount of this speech is thus 
given by Peter Martyr : — 

" I have been advertised, most might}' prince, that 3'ou have of late 
with great power subdued many lands and regions hitherto unknown to 
you, and have brought no little fear upon all the people and inhabitants 
of the same ; the which your good fortune you shall bear with les3 inso- 
lence if 3'OU remember that the souls of men have two journeys, after 
they are departed from this body ; the one, foul and dark, prepared for 
such as are injurious and cruel to mankind ; the other, pleasant and 
delectable, ordained for them which in their time loved peace and quiet- 
ness. If, therefore, you acknowledge 3-ourself tobe mortal, and consider 
that every man shall receive condign reward or punishment for such 
thing sas he hath done in this life, you will wrongfully hurt no man." 

OLD MAN'S WISDOM. 

Columbus was much pleased and affected by the eloquent wisdom of 
the old man, as it was conveyed to him by the interpreter. He answered 
that the chief cause of his coming was to instruct the islanders in the true 
religion ; and that he had special commands from his sovereigns of Spain 
to subdae and punish the mischievous, and defend the innocent against 
violence from evil doers. The old man was delighted with the Admiral, 
and was desirous to accompauy him on the voyage, notwithstanding his 
extreme age. The entreaties of his wife and children alone prevented him. 

Columbus remained several days in the river, and on taking leave of 
of his old adviser, he steered south for the open sea. Storms and adverse 
winds, however, detained him a few days about the island of Queen's 
Garden, and again visiting Jamacia, he was received with great kindness 
and confidence. 

On the 24th of September, they had reached the eastern extremity of 
Hispaniola, and pursued their voyage towards the south-east. It was 
the design of Columbus, at the present time, to complete the discovery of 
the Caribbee Islands. But the fatigues which he had suffered durino- 
the voyage had completely exhausted him. Besides his great mental 



204 EARLY HISTORY OF AMERICA. 

exertions, he had shared in the bodily labors of the expedition, with more 
unwearied activit}^ than the best of his seamen. He had shared all their 
privations and toils with them. His body and mind at length snnk nnder 
these continned and nnintermitted labors. A deep lethargy fell upon 
him, and his crew were fearful that he would die. He could neither 
remember, nor see, nor hear ; and was carried back in a state of insensi- 
bility to the harbor of Isabella. 

UNEXPECTED MEETING OF BROTHERS. 

What was his supprise and joy, on recovering iiis faculties, to find 
Tiere by his bedside, his brother Bartholomew, whom he had not before 
met with for thirteen years, and whom he had supposed to be dead. He 
had been appointed by the Spanish Government to the command of three 
ships, and had received orders to assist his brother in all his enterprises. 
He reached Isabella just after the Admiral had departed for the coast of 
Cuba, with supplies of provision that arrived at a fortunate moment, to 
alia}- the discontents of the Spaniards, and to alleviate the maladies 
under which they had been suffering. Meantime the Indians had become 
much incensed by the outrages of the soldiers, and several Caciques 
united for their destruction. 

This was the state of things when the Admiral reached Isabella, 
and it was not till the island was restored to obedience, that Columbus 
determined to return to Spain. His enemies at court were many, active 
and influencial, envious and malignant ; and by their influence such 
accusations against the Admiral were laid before his sovereigns, that 
they determined to send a person of trust and confidence to Hispaniola, 
to inquire into the alleged abuses. Columbus received this emissary 
with dignity, and acknowledged complete submission to the will of his 
monarch. On the loth of March, 1496, he set sail for Isabella on his 
return to Spain, leaving his two brothers to administer the government 
during his absence. 

When. Columbus arrived at Cadiz, he found three caravels in the 
harbor ready to set sail for Hispaniola. By these vessels the Admiral 



EARLY HISTORY OF AMERICA. 205 

dispatched letters to liis brother, to inform him of his safe return, and to 
give him further instructions in respect to the government of the colony. 
He then immediately repaired to Burgos, at that time the ordinary resi- 
dence of the court. The sovereigns were absent, but they both soon 
returned, not only to give him a favorable reception, but to load him 
with thanks and kindness. The accusations of his enemies were passed 
by in silence, either as entirely unfounded, or as of no weight, when 
compared with the great services and unquestionable fidelity of Colum- 
bus. 

FOUNDING COLONIES. 

The Admiral was encouraged by this unexpected r^eption. He 
requested the immediate equipment of six ships, three of which were to 
be freighted with provisions and necessary utensils and implements for 
the colouy of Isabella, and the rest to remain under his own direction. 
This demand appeared very reasonable, but the sovereigns suggested 
that it was immediately important to found a solid establishment, on 
which succeeding colonies might be modelled. The propriety of this 
was obvious. It was arranged that the sovereigns, at their own charge, 
should transport a large number of sailors, soldiers, laborers, mechanics 
and artist to Hispauiola. To these, surgeons, physicians, and priests 
were added. The Admiral also obtained permission to carry a number 
of musicians, to solace their labors, and amuse their leisure hours ; law- 
yers and advocates were expressly excluded by edict, in order to prevent 
quarrelling iii the new dominions. 

Nothing could have been more prudently devised than the greater 
part of these regulations. There was one proposal of Columbus, how- 
ever, extremely pernicious to the interests of the rising colony. He 
suggested the transportation of convicted criminals, and of those con- 
fined in prisons for debts which they could never hope to pay, as a com- 
mutation for the punishment to which they would otherwise be sub- 
ject. This advise was given in consequence of the present difl&culty ol 
procuring men willing to embark in the expedition. The evils which 
had befallen their coutrymen deterred those who could live in peace and 




KEKniNAND AND ISABF.IJ-A 



EARLY HISTORY OF AMERICA. 207 

prosperity iu Spain from goiug to the Indies ; bnt the proposition of 
Columbus was most unwise and unjust. 

Much delay occurred in the preparation for the voyage, owing to the 
obstacles thrown in the way by the cold-blooded enemies of Columbus ; 
but the expedition was enabled to set sail on the 30th of May, 1498. 
The Admiral pursued a more southerl}' course than he had before taken, 
and on the 31st of Jul}', made an island which he called La Trinidad. 
He contin-.ied coasting to the south-west point of Trinidad, to which he 
gave the name of Point Arenal. Near this place the ships cast anchor. 

WOULD NOT COME ON BOARD. 

A large canoe here put off from the shore, in which there were about 
five-and-tweuty Indians, who cried out to them in a language which no 
one in the ships could understand. Columbus endeavored to prevail 
upon them to come on board, but to no purpose. Thej' remained gazing 
at the ships, with the paddles in their hand, ready for instant escape. 
Their complexion was fairer than that of any Indians they had before 
seen. They were almost naked, and, besides the usual bows and arrows, 
they carried bucklers — a piece of armor which they had never before 
seen among the natives of the New World. 

Columbus having tried every other means to attract them, and in 
vain, determined to try the power of music. He ordered a sort of Indian 
dance to be executed on the deck of his ship, while the musicians on 
board sung and played upon their different instruments. The natives 
mistook this for a signal of battle, and immediately discharged their 
arrows, and on a return from a couple of cross-bows, commenced a rapid 
retreat. 

Without knowing it, Columbus was now really in the neighborhood 
of the continent. While anchored at Point Arenal, the extremity of the 
island of Trinidad, he saw high land towards the northwest, about 
fifteen leagues distant, which he called Isla de Gracia. This was the 
province to which he afterwards gave the name of Paria, and which formed 
a part of the continent. They found in Trinidad the same kind of fruits 



208 EARLY HISTORY OF AMERICA. 

that abounded in Hispaniola. There were also large quantities of oysters 
there, and a great number of parrots, of every variety of beautiful and 
brilliant plumage. 

In the strait formed between Trinidad and the main land, the}' 
were near!}- swallowed up by the violence of the waters. Two very 
rapid currents, setting in from opposite quarters, lifted the ships violently 
to a great height, on a mountain of surges, but the waves gradually sub- 
sided, and the}- escaped without injury. To this pass Colunjbus gave 
the name of Boca de la Sierpe, or the Mouth of the Serpent. They soon 
found themselves, b\' the assistance of favorable breezes in a tranquil 
gulf, sailing quietly beyond the reach of danger. 

PRODUCTS OF THE NEW COUNTRY. 

Columbus was astonished to find the water of this gulf fresh, and 
to observe its great smoothness and stillness. It was at a period of the 
year when the rain falls in large quantities, and the swollen rivers 
emptied themselves so copionsl}-, as to overcome the natural saltness of 
the sea. He found many good harbors, as he proceeded towards the 
north, much cultivated land, and many rivers. Going ashore at different 
times, the seamen found grapes, apples, a kind of orange, and a great 
many monkeys. 

On Monda}', the 6th of August, a canoe, with five men in it, came 
oif to the nearest caravel, and one of the Spaniards requested them to 
canv him ashore. Leaping into the boat, he overset it, and the Indians 
were taken and carried to the Admiral. Their complexion was like that 
of the natives they had seen in the neighborhood. The Admiral treated 
them kindly, and gave them hawks' bells, glass beads and sugar. They 
were then sent on shore, and gave so favorable an account of their visit, 
that great numbers collected about the ships. These were received in a 
similar manner, and brought bread, and water, and a sort of green wine, 
to exchange for the trifles that the crews were willing to give them. 
They all carried bucklers, bows, and poisoned arrows. 

On the next day, a number of friendly Indians came ou board, 



EARLY HISTORY OF AMERICA. 209 

bringing bread, corn, and other provisions, together witb pitchers of a 
white beverage, like wine, and a gi'een liqnor made from maize and 
varions frnits. They set no valne npou the beads, but were much 
pleased with the hawks' bells, and held brass in very high estimation. 
Columbus, on the following morning, took six Indians, to serve as 
guides, and continued his voyage. He next touched at a point which 
he called Aguja, or the Needle. The country about was very populous 
and highly cultivated, and so beautiful that Columbus gave it the name 
of the Gardens. Many of the inhabitants visited the ships, with 
wrought cotton cloths about their heads and loins, and little plates of 
gold about their necks. These they would have been very glad to have 
exchanged foi hawks' bells ; but the stock of these articles was exhausted. 
The Spaniards procui-ed some of them, however, and were told that there 
were islands in the neighborhood which abounded in gold, though they 
were inhabited bj- cannibals. 

WOMEN WITH COSTLY DECORATIONS. 

Some of the females who came on board wore strings of beads about 
their arms, among which were a number of pearls. These excited the 
curiosity and avarice of the Spaniards at once. The boat was sent on 
shore to ascertain the direction of the countries where the}- might be 
found. The sailors who went in the boat were received in a very hospi- 
table manner, and conducted to a large house, where they were feasted 
b}' the natives. Various kinds of bread and fruit were set before them, 
and white and red liquors, resembling wine. These Indians had fairer 
skins, and were more kind and intelligent than any thev had before 
met with. 

On the 14th of August, the ships approached the formidable pass to 
which they had given the name of the Boca del Dragon, or the Dragon's 
Mouth. This was a strait between the extremit}- of Trinidad and Cape 
Boto, at the end of Paria, and was about five leagues in width. In the 
mean distance there were two islands. The sea at this pass is verv tur- 
bulent, foaming as if it were breaking over rocks and shoals. The ships 

14 



210 EARLY HISTORY OF AMERICA. 

passed it, however, in safety, and stood for tlie westward, where they 
had been told the pearl regions were to be found. Columbus was 
charmed with the beauty of the coast along which their course now lay. 
He touched at various islands during the voyage, two of wliich were 
afterwards famous for their pearl fishery. These were called Margarita, 
and Cubagua. 

As the Admiral was approaching this latter island, he saw a number 
of Indians in their canoes, fishing for pearls. They immediately fled 
towards the land. A boat was sent in pursuit, and a sailor, who saw 
a woman with a large number of pearls about her neck, broke up a piece 
of painted Valenciau ware, and gave the fragments to her in exchange 
for them. 

These were carried to the Admiral, who immediateh' sent the boat 
back with a quantity of Valencian ware and little bells. In a short time, 
the sailors returned with about three pounds of pearls ; some were small, 
but others were of considerable size. It has been said that if Columbus 
had seen fit to remain here, he could have collected a sufficient quantity 
of pearls to pay all the expenses that had hitherto accrued in the dis- 
cover}' and settlement of the New World. But he was in haste to 
return to Hispaniola. His crew had become impatient, and he was him- 
self sick, and suffering under a violent disorder in his e3'es. 

A SUPPOSED PARADISE. 

The region which he had called Paria, Columbus supposed to have 
been the situation of the terrestrial paradise. He believed it to be 
elevated above the rest of the world, and to eujo}- an equalit}- of day and 
night. The fresh water which sweetened the gulf of Paria, he supposed 
to flow from the stream spoken of in Scripture, which had its fountain 
in the garden of Eden ! The admiral, however, did not long indulge 
this imagination, "which," says Charlevoix, "we may consider as one of 
those fantasies to which great men are more subject than any other." 

Columbus immediately set sail for St. Domingo, where he found 
aflFairs in a state of the utmost confusion. Many of the Spaniards whom 



EARLY HISTORY OF AMERICA. 211 

he had left at Isabella, had been slain by the natives, and disease had 
thinned the ranks of those whom the knife had spared. Famine threat- 
ened, distress was busy and deadly, and peril stared on them from every 
side. Rebellion was not idle, and numbers had taken up arms against 
the regular authorities. 

Under these circumstances, Columbus issued a proclamation 
denouncing the rebels, with Roland their ringleader, and approving the 
government, and all the measures of Don Bartholomew, diiring his 
absence. For a considerable period, the history of the island is a repc. 
tition of successive revolts, followed by accommodations that were inces- 
santly interrupted and broken. It possesses but little iuterest, as it is a 
mere tissue of insubordination and ingratitude. 

The next grand change in the drama, represents Columbus in chainS; 
transported as a prisoner across that ocean whose blue waters had been 
first disturbed by his own adventiirous bark, and from whose shadows he 
had revealed a New World for the fading dominions of the Old. The 
rumor was no sooner circulated at Cadiz and Seville, that Columbus and 
his brothers had arrived loaded with chains, and condemned to death, 
thati it gave rise to an immediate expression of public indignation. 

INDIGNATION AT THE COURT. 

The excitement was strong and universal ; and messengers were 
immediately dispatched to convey the intelligence to Ferdinand and Isa- 
bella, who were much moved by the exhibition of popular feeling, and 
offended that their name and authority should have been used to sanction 
such dishonorable violence. They gave orders for the immediate liber- 
ation of the prisoners, and for their being escorted to Granada with the 
respect and honor they deserved. The}^ annulled all the processes 
against them, without examination, and promised an ample punishment 
for all their wrongs. 

Columbus was not, however, restored to his command at Hispaniola, 
nor was it till many months afterwards that he was placed at the head 
of an expedition to open up a new passage to the East Indies. On the 9th 




212 



COLUMBUS AT THE MONASTERY OF LA RABIDA. 



EARLY HISTORY OF AMERICA. 213 

of May, 1502, Columbus agaiu set sail from Cadiz on a vo3'age of dis- 
cover}'. He first directed his course to Arzilla, upon the coast of Africa, 
a Portuguese fortress at that time besieged by the Moors. He arrived 
too late to be of any assistance, for the seige had been raised. He sent 
his son and brother upou shore, to pay his respects to the Governor, and 
continued on his voyage. 

He now touched, as usual, at the Canary Islands, from whence he 
proposed to sail direct to the continent. His largest vessel, however, 
proved so clumsy as to be unfit for service, and he determined on this 
account to steer for Hispaniola, where he found a fleet of eighteen ships 
ready to depart for Spain. Arrived at St. Domingo, Columbus wrote to 
the new Governor, Ovando, requesting permission to enter the harbor, as 
well to exchange one of his vessels, as to procure shelter from a violent 
tempest that was expected, recommending in the same letter, that the 
departure of the fleet should be delayed a few days on the same account. 

DESTRUCTION OF THE FLEET. 

His request was refused, and his advice neglected. The fleet set sail, 
and on the next night were swallowed up by the waves. Of eighteen 
ships, onl}- two or three escaped. Columbus had taken precautions 
against the storm, which his superior skill and experience had enabled 
him to foresee, and his little squadron was saved. On board of the ves- 
sels which were wrecked were Bovadilla, Rolan, and most of the vicious 
and discontented who had been so busy in injuring the Admiral. All 
their ill-gotten wealth perished with them. 

Columbus soon left Hispaniola, and sailed towards the continent. 
Being becalmed on his voyage,- the currents carried him to some small 
and sandv islands, near Jamaica, to which he gave the name of Los Poros, 
or the Wells. Sailing southward, he discovered the island of Gnanaia, 
where he had an interview with some natives that he found in a canoe. 
This canoe was eight feet wide, made of one tree, with an awning of 
palm leaves iir the middle, for the women and children. It was laden 



214 EARLY HISTORY OF AMERICA. 

with cotton clotlis, of several colors, aud curiously wrought ; wooden 
swords, edged with sharp flints ; small copper hatchets ; bells and plates; 
and the berries which they called cacoa. 

Coutinuiug his voyage, on the 25th of September, Columbus came 
to anchor near a little island called Quiriviri, and a town on the conti- 
nent, the name of which was Cariari. The country here was very beau- 
tiful, full of forests of palm trees, and fine rivers. A large number of 
the natives crowded from the adjacent country, some with bows and 
arrows, some with hard and black clubs pointed with fish bones, as if 
intending to defend themselves from the Spaniards. But perceiving they 
had nothing to fear, the Indians were very desirous to barter the articles 
they had with them. 

IN SEARCH OF GOLD MINES. 

Columbus proceeded on his eastward course, stopping at a number 
of islands, aud having various communications with the natives. Being 
detained by contrar}- winds, on the 5th of December, he determined to 
stand about, and go in search of some rich gold mines of which he had 
been told, in the province of Veragua. For a number of da3-s, the ships 
were driven about by violent tempests The rain poured down in tor- 
rents, the thunder rolled and the lightning flashed incessantl}'. Besides 
these dangers, they escaped from a tremendous water-spout which passd 
very near them, but luckily without injur3^ On reaching Veragua, the 
Admiral's brother went up the river Belem, in the boats, to find the 
King. Discovering a great man}^ signs of gold, Columbus determined 
to leave a colony here. Eighty men were chosen to remain, and houses 
were built for them covered with palm leaves. One of the ships was to 
be left behind, with a quantity of wine and biscuit, with nets and fishing 
tackle. 

When everything was ready for his departure, the Admiral 
found that the river had dried so much that there was not water enough 
to float the ships into the sea, aud while detained here on this account 
it was discovered that Quibio, the Cacique of Veragua, had laid a plau 



EARLY HISTORY OF AMERICA. 



215 



to destroy the Spaniards and burn their settlement. They determined 
therefore, to take him and his chief men prisoners. A party of seventy- 
six men, under the command of the Admiral's brother, were dispatched 

A 




INDIAN WEAPONS. 

on this expedition. Arriving in the neighborhood of the house where 
Quibio resided, they advanced, two by two, as silently as possible, and 
obtained possession of the Cacique's person, together with a good deal of 
his \v'ealth, and a number of his wives and children. 



216 EARLY HISTORY OF AMERICA. 

The prisouers were committed to Juan Sanchez, the chief pilot of the 
squadron, a strong and trustworthy man, who undertook to carry them 
safelj^ to the ships. He was told to take special care that the Cacique 
did not escape ; and answered that he would give them leave to pluck 
out his beard, if he did not keep him from getting away. The}' had 
come within half a league of the mouth of the river, when Quibio com- 
plained that his hands suffered from the cords with which the\- were 

bound. 

Juaij Sanchez then loosed him from the seat of the boat, to which he 
was tied, and held the rope in his own hand, and a little while after, 
Quibio threw himself into the water, and sunk to the bottom. Night 
was coming- on, and the Spainards could neither hear nor see what after- 
wards became of him. The lieutenant, on the next day, returned to the 
ships with his prisoners and plunder. 

HE SETS SAIL FOR SPAIN. 

The river having now been swollen by the rains, Columbus was able 
to set sail with three of his ships for Spain. When Quibio saw that the 
vessels had left the coast, he immediately surrounded \vith his warriors, 
the little colony that had remained behind. The lieutenant was a man 
not to be easily discouraged ; he went out against the Indians with a verj' 
small number of followers, and with the assistance of a dog, put them 
all to flight. It so happened that, at the very time of this attack, a boat 
had been sent from the ships to procure water. 

For this purpose the captain of it was going some distance up the 
river and, though warned of the danger, would not desist from his 
undertaking. The river was very deep, and sheltered on both sides by 
overhanging trees and thick bushes, which grew down to the verj'' edge 
of the water. When the boat had gone about a league from the colony, 
the Indians rushed out from the thickets on each side, in their canoes, 
blowing horns, and making the most hideous noises. 

The canoes could be easily managed by one man, and all the rest of 
the crews were busy in sending their arrows and javelins. In such a 



EARLY HISTORY OF AMERICA. 217 

shower of darts the Spauiards were obliged to drop the oars, and protect 
themselves with their targets. But there were such a multitude of 
Indiaus surrounding them from every quarter, that the seven or eight 
men in the boat were soon pierced with a thousand wounds. Only one 
of them escaped, who threw himself, unobserved into the water, and 
swam to shore. Pursuing his way through the thickest of the wood, he 
reached the colony in safety. 

The Spaniards were much terrified at the intelligence, and still more 
affected, when the bodies of their companions came floating down the 
river, covered with wounds, and followed by the birds of prey. They 
determined not to remain in the country, and immediately removed from 
the thickets, where their houses were built, to the open plain. Here 
they constructed a kind of bulwark with casks and chests, and planted 
cannon about them at convenient distances. The sea beat so heavily, 
that it was impossible to have any communication with the ships. 

A BOLD ADVENTURE. 

Columbus was alarmed at the long absence of the boat, but was 
unable to send another in search of it. He remained ten days in this 
condition, during which time the captive Indians escaped, by bursting 
the hatches at night, and leaping into the water. At length one of the 
sailors proposed to the Admiral that he should be carried in the boat to 
a certain distance from shore, and that he would swim the rest of the 
way, and discover what had become of their companions. 

This man was Pedro Ledesma, a native of Seville. Being borne to 
within about a musket shot of land, he plunged into the swelling and 
foaming waves, and succeeded in reaching the shore. He here learned 
what had happened — the loss of his comrades, and the determination of 
the colonists not to remain. With this information, Ledesma swam back 
to the boat that was waiting for him. As soon as the waters became 
more quiet, those who had been left on shore lashed a couple of Indian 
canoes together, loaded them with their effects, and, leaving behind them 
the worm-eaten hulk of ship, made for the little fleet of the Admiral, 



218 EARLY HISTORY OF AMERICA. 

The tliree ships theu set sail, aud held on their course to Porto Bello, 
where they were obliged to leave one of the vessels, because it was so 
worm-eaten and leak3^ Continuing their voj'age they passed the Tor- 
tugas, and reached the cluster of islands which had been called the 
Queen's Garden. While at anchor in this place, about ten leagues from 
Cuba, with very little to eat, and their vessels exceedingly leaky, a great 
storm arose, aud the two remaining ships were driven with such violence 
against each other that it was with difl&culty that they escaped, even with 
great injurjf. 

Sailing hence, with much toil and danger, they reached an Indian 
village on the coast of Cuba, where they procured some water and pro- 
visions and departed for Jamaica. They were obliged to keep continuall}' 
working at three pumps in each of the vessels. With all this, however, 
thev could not prevent the water from gaining upon them with great 
rapidity ; and when thej^ put into the harbor of Puerto Bueno, it almost 
came up to the decks, Leaving this port, the}' run their vessels ashore as 
far as possible, in the harbor of Santa Gloria, and built sheds upon the 
deck for the men to lie in. 

HOW TO LEAVE THE ISLAND. 

They were thus situated about a bow-shot from the land. It hap- 
pened that the Indians of the island were peaceable and well disposed, 
and came off from all quarters, in their canoes, to traffic. Tliey brought 
to the ships some little creatures like rabbits, aud cakes oi' bread, which 
the}' called zabi, wliich they were glad to exchange for hawks' bells and 
glass beads. Sometimes the Spaniards gave a cacique a looking-glass or 
a red cap, aud perhaps a pair of scissors. It was now necessar}- to devise 
means to leave the island. They had no tools to build a new ship with, 
aud it was in vain to stay in hopes that some vessel from Spain would 
fall in with them. 

The Admiral thought the best course would be to send word to 
Hispaniola, and request that a ship might be sent to them with am mu- 
nition aud provisions. Two canoes were, accordingly, selected for 



EARLY HISTORY OF AMERICA. 



219 



this purpose, and committed to Diego 
Mendez and Bartholomew Fiesco, with 
six Spaniards and ten Indians to manage 
them. They went along the coast of 
Jamaica, to the eastern extremity, where 
it was thirty leagues distant from His- 
paniola, and put out to sea. 




departed, 
' ' the men on shore began 
fikl ^^ grow discontented, 
// and a violent sickness 
NATIVES ASTONISHED BY THE ECLIPSE OF THE SUN broke out among them. 
They became turbulent and seditious. The leaders of the sedition, two 






220 EARLY HISTORY OF AMERICA. 

natives of Seville, brothers, by tlie name of Porras. One of tlieni openly 
insulted the Admiral on the deck of his ship, and turning his back on 
him, exclaimed, " I am for Spain, with all that will follow me." About 
forty of the most mutinous joined with him, and, seizing some canoes 
which the Admiral had purchased, departed for the eastern extremit}' of 
the island. These conspirators treated the natives ver}- cruelly upon 
the way, committing various outrages, and compelling them to row their 
canoes for Hispaniola. The sea soon grew rough, and they threw 
every thing they could spare overboard, in order to lighten their 
slender barks. 

CANOES REACHED THE SHORE WITH DIFFICULTY. 

At last the}^ threw over even the helpless natives who had been 
forced into their service, and left them to perish in the waves. With 
much difficulty the canoes reached the shore. They again ventured out 
once or twice, after an interval of several weeks, and were again driven 
back by the winds. From the man}' excesses committed by these men, 
and the increasing scarcity of provisions, the Indians at length began to 
neglect even those who had remained with the Admiral, and whom they 
had hitherto supplied with sufficient quantities of food. Columbus was 
desirous to awe the natives into compliance with his requests. He knew 
that on a certain night there was to be an eclipse of the moon. On the 
day before this event, he invited all the caciques and chief men of the 
place to an assembly. 

He here told them through an interpreter, that the Spaniards 
believed in a God, who dwelt in Heaven, rewarding the good and punish- 
ing the evil ; that this deity had been offended with the wicked who 
rebelled, and had raised up the winds and tempest against them ; that 
he was angry with the Indians for their negligence in not furnishing 
loud for the white men, and that he would that night give 
:hem a sign of his indignation in the skies. The Indians listened, and 
departed, some in terror, some in scorn. But when the eclipse began, as 
the moou was rising, they were all sti'uck with fear and confusiou. They 



EARLY HISTORY OF AMERICA. 221 

came running with cries and lamentations from every quarter, bringing 
provisions, and praying tlie Admiral to intercede for them. Columbus 
shut himself up while the eclipse lasted, and when he saw it begin to 
go off, he came out of his cabin and warned them to use the Christians 
well in future, and bring them all they should require of them. From 
that time the supplies of provisions were always abundant- 

ARRIVAL OF A STRANGE VESSEL. 

Eight months passed after the departure of Mendez and Fiesco, 
before any notice was received of their arrival. Other desertions were 
on the point of taking place, when, towards dusk, one evening, a caravel 
was espied in the distance. It proved to have been sent from Hispaniola, 
tinder the command of Diego de Escobar. He had orders not to go on 
shore, nor to permit his crew to have any communication with the 
followers of the Admiral. Escobar went in his boat to deliver to 
Columbus a letter Ifrom the Governor, and a present of a cask of wine 
and a couple of hams ; then, returning to his caravel, he sailed away 
that very evening. 

The Admiral was very much surprised at this singular conduct, and 
the people thought the Governor intended to leave them there without 
assistance. But Columbus soothed them with such explanations as he 
could invent ; told them that Mendez had arrived safely at Hispaniola, 
and gave them promises of speedy relief He now turned his attention 
towards arranging affairs with the rebels. Messengers were sent to them, 
whom they insulted and dismissed ; and it was at last necessary to come 
to open battle with them. For this purpose fifty men, well armed, were 
selected from those who continued faithful to Columbus, and put 
under the command of the " x^delantado." 

Having arrived at a small hill, about a bow-shot from the camp of 
the rebels, two messengers were sent before, to request a peaceable con- 
ference with their leaders. They refused to listen to them, but fell, with 
swords and spears, upon the party of the '' Adelantado," thinking to rout 
them immediately. The rebels, however, were finally dispersed with 



222 



EARLY HISTORY OF AMERICA. 



some slaughter. On tlie next day, all who had escaped joined in an 
Innuhk. petunn, to the Admiral, repenting of their past condnet, and 
declaring themselves ready to return to their d.Uy. Columbus granted 
their request upon condition that their captain should remain a prisoner 
as a hostage for their good behavior. They were accordingly quartered 
about the island, in such places as were most convenient, till the arrival 
of a ship from Hispaniola. 

Some days now passed, when Diego Mendez arrived with a vessel 
which he had purchased and fitted out at St. Domingo, on the Admiral's 
credit. They immediately embarked on board of it, and, sailing with 
contrary winds, reached St. Domingo on the 13th of August, 1504 
The Governor received the Admiral with the greatest respect and cere- 
mony, but his kindness was only forced and treacherous. He .set Porras 
free from his chains, and attempted to punish those who were concerned 
m his arrest. Columbus remained here till his ship was refitted and 
another hired, and in these vessels they pursued their voyage to Spaiu. 

ACCIDENT FROM STORMY WEATHER. 

Setting sail on the 12th of September, the mast of one of the ships 
was carried by the board, when they were about two leagues from shore. 
This ship returned to the harbor, and the Admiral pursued his voyage in 
the other. The Aveather proved very stormy, and the remaming ''ship 
was much shattered before she arrived at St. Lucar. At this port Co- 
lumbus received the sad intelligence of the death of his noble patron, 1 
Isabella. He then repaired to Seville. 

But he was doomed to submit to the evils of that ingratitude, which 
is not the growth of republics only, but often finds a genial soil' under 
the .shadow of a throne. The discoverer of a world, and the natural 
master of the empire he had found, Columbus was obliged, in his old age, 
to submit to the caprices and insults of a narrow-minded monarch, to 
whose insignificance his own magnanimity was a continued reproach. 
Deluded with promises, foiled with disappointment, exhausted with the 
toil and hardship of momentous and ill requited enterprise, mortified by 



EARLY HISTORY OF AMERICA. 223 

undeserved iiCglect, disgusted by the baseness und meanness of a servile 
court, and an ungrateful King, opjjressed with infirmity, and cares, and 
wretchedness, Columbus died at Valladolid, on the 20th of May, 1506. 

His death was worthy of his character and his fame ; marked by no 
violent emotion, calm, composed, and happy ; blessed by the memorj- of 
what he had done for mankind, and cheered by the hopes of a holy faith. 
A fit end to the great drama of his life. 

Columbus could never forget the ignominy of his chains. He pre- 
served the fetters, hung them up in his apartment, and ordered them to 
be buried in his grave. In compliance with this request his body was 
removed from Seville to the island of St. Domingo, and deposited, with 
his chains in a brass coffin, on the right of the high altar of the 
Cathedral of St. Domingo. There his bones remained, until the Spanish 
part of the island was ceded to France, in 1795. In consequence of this 
cession, the descendants of Columbus requested that his remains might 
be removed to Cuba. 

On the 19th of January, 1796, the brass cofiin which contained the 
ashes of this great man, together with a chain which served as a 
memorial of his sovereign's weakness, was carried down to the harbor in 
procession, under fire of the forts, and put on board a brig of war, to be 
removed to Havana. The brig arrived safely in the harbor of Havana, 
and the remains of the discoverer of America were buried with all the 
pomp and ceremony that could be bestowed upon them. 



EARLY ADVENTURES IN 
NORTH_AMERICA. 

THE exploits of Columbus having excited a great sensation among 
Englisli merchants, and at the Court of Henr_v .the YII., the 
adventurous spirit of John Cabot, heightened by the ardor of his son 
Sebastian, led him to propose to the King to undertake a voyage of dis- 
covery, with the twofold object of becoming acquainted with new terri- 
tories, and of realizing the long-desired object of a western passage to 
China and the Indies. A commission was accordingly granted, on the 
5th of March, 1497, ^'^ ^"™ '^"^^ ^^^^ three sons, giving them liberty to 
sail to all parts of the east, west and north, under the royal banners and 
ensigns, to discover countries of the heathen, unknown to Christians • 
to set up the King's banners there ; to occup}^ and possess, as his subjects, 
such places as they could subdue ; giving them the rule and jurisdiction 
of the same, to be holden on condition of paying to the King one-fifth 
part of all their gains. 

By virtue of this commission, a small fleet was equipped, partly at 
the King's expense, and partly at that of private individuals, in which 
the Cabots embarked with a company of three hundred marines. Our 
knowledge of this voyage is collected from many detached and imperfect 
notices of it in different authors, who, while they establish the general facts 
in the most unquestionable manner, differ in many particular circum- 
stances. The most probable account is that Cabot sailed north-west a 
few weeks, until his progress was arrested by floating icebergs, when he 
shaped his course to the south-west, and soon came in sight of a shore 
named by him Prima Vista and generally believed to be some part of 
Labrador, or Newfoundland. 

Thence he steered noi'thward again to the sixty-seventh degree of 

latitude, where he was obliged to turn back by the discontent of his crew. 
224 



EARLY HISTORY OF AMERICA. 



225 



He sailed along the coast in search of an outlet as far as the neighorhood 
of the Gulf of Mexico, when a mutiny broke out in the ship's company, 
in consequence of which the farther prosecution of the voyage was aban- 







SEBASTIAN CABOT. 



doned. Cabot reached England with several savages and a valuable 
cargo, although some writers deny that he ever landed in America, and 
it is certain that he did not attempt any conquest or settlement there. 

This voj'age was not immediately followed by any important con- 
sequences ; but is memorable as being the first that is certainly ascer 



226 EARLY HISTORY OF AMERICA. 

taiued to have been effected to this continent, and as containing the title 
by which England claimed the territories that they subseqneuth' acquired 
here. Through a singular succession of causes, during more than sixty 
3'ears from the time of this discover}- of the northern division of the 
continent by the English, their monarchs gave but little attention to 
this country, which was destined to be annexed to their crown, and to be 
one principal source of British opulence and power, till, in the march of 
events, it should rise into an independent empire. This remarkable 
neglect is in some measure accounted for by the frugal maxims of Henrj' 
VII., and the unpropitious circumstances of the reign of Henry VIII., 
of Edward VI., and of the bigoted Mary ; reigns peculiarly adverse to 
the extention of industry, trade and navigation. 

DISCOVERY OF FLORIDA. 

While English enterprise slumbered, both France and Spain were 
active and successful. Francis I. sent a vessel called the Dauphin, to the 
American coast, commanded by Juan Verazzano, a Florentine, who had 
distinguished himself by his successful cruises against the Spaniards. 
In this voyage he discovered Florida, and sailed seven hundred leagues 
on the North American coast, which he named New France. 

He made another voyage in the following year, when he landed with 
some of his crew, was seized by the savages, and killed and devoured in 
the presence of his companions on board, who sought in vain to give 
him any assistance. The gloomj^ impression produced b}^ the tragic fate 
of Verazzano seemed to have deterred others, for some time from such 
enterprises, and for several succeeding years neither the King nor the 
nation seem to have thought any more of America. 

After a lapse of ten j^ears, these enterprises were renewed, and 
Jacques Cartier, a bold seaman of IMalo, who proposed another voj'age, 
was readily supplied with two ships under the direction of the Vice- 
Admiral of France. His first vo3'age resulted in the discover)'^ of the 
Baye des Chaleurs, and the Gulf of St. Lawrence. In the following 
spring, a large expedition was equipped, and proceeded direct to 



EARLY HISTORY OF AMERICA. 



Newfoundland. Discovering the river afterwards called the St. Lawience, 
he sailed up this stream three hundred leagues, to a great swift fall, made 
friends of the natives on its banks, took possession of the territory, 
built a fort, and wintered in the country, which he called New France. 

The next spring Cartier returned with the remains of his crew, which 
had been much diminished by the scurvy. He carried with him Donna- 
con a, the In- 
dian King of 
the country, 
whom he had 
made captive 
partly by 
force, and 
partly by 
stratagem. On 
his return he 
represented to 
the King the 
immense ad- 
vantages 
which might 
result from a 
THE COAST OF M.nRiDA. Settlement in 

that country, for the purpose of carrying on the fur trade ; but his advice 
was slighted, and the proposed establishment dela3'ed. Francis I. after- 
wards became aware of the importance of the enterprise, and dispatched 
Cartier with the appointment of Captain-General, and with five ships. 

After a long and boisterous passage, Cartier arrived at Newfound- 

, land, thence proceeded to Canada, and on the 23d of August, 1535, arrived 

at the harbor of St. Croix. But this enterprise was also infelicitous in 

its issue, and for half a century the French made no further attempt to 

establish themselves in Canada. 

To give a brief narrative of the Spanish attempts at colonization in 




'22S 



EARLY HISTORY OF AMERICA. 



North America, it was iu the j'ear 1528, that Pamphilo de Narvaez, hav- 
ing obtained from Charles V. the grant of all land lying from the River 
af Palms to the Cape of Florida, sailed from Cuba, in March, with five 
ships, on board of which were four hundred foot, and twenty horse, for 
the conquest of the country. Landing at Florida, he marched to Apa- 
lache, a village consisting of forty cottages, where he arrived on the 5th 
of June. Having lost many of his men by the natives, who harassed 
the troops on their march, and with whom they had a sharp engagement, 
he was obliged to direct his course towards the sea. Sailing to the west- 
ward, he was lost, with many others, 
in a violent storm, about the middle 
of November, and the enterprise was 
frustrated. Calamitous as was the 
issue of this expedition, it did not 
extinguish the Spanish passion for 
adventure, and Fernando de Soto, 
a distinguished companion of Piz- 
arro, was created Adelantado of Flor- 
ida, combining the offices of Governor 
General and Commander-in-Chief. 

On the i8th of May, 1539, Soto 
set sail from Havana on this expe- 
dition, with nine vessels, nine hun- 
dred soldiers, two hundred and thir- 
teen horses and a herd of swine. This 
army met with various disasters, 
and suffered much from disease and the attacks of the savages. Soto 
died, and to conceal his loss from the Indians his body was put into a 
hollowed oak and sunk in a river. The small remains of his army, con- 
sisting of three hundred and eleven men, arrived at Panaco on the loth 
of September, 1543, and all concerned in this great expedition were 
reduced to poverty and distress. 

About the vear 1562, the Huguenots made an effort to colonize Flor- 




FERNANDO DE SOTO. 



EARLY HISTORY OF AMERICA. 229 

ida, but after suffering deeply from shipwreck, sickness, and Spanish 
cruelt}^, they were completely destroyed. The expeditious of Laudon- 
niere andRibault entirely failed. Ribanlt was massacred with his troops, 
by the Spaniards, after a pledge of safety, and their bodies were not only 
covered with repeated wounds, but were cut in pieces and treated with 
the most shocking indignities. A number of the mangled limbs of the 
victims were then suspended to a tree, to which was attached the follow- 
ing inscription : — "Not because they are Frenchmen, but because they 
are heretics, and enemies of God." To revenge this barbarous massacre 
Dominique de Gourgues determined to devote himself and his fortune. 

FORTS ARMED BY SOLDIERS WITH ARTILLERY. 

He found means to equip three small vessels, and to piit on board 
of them eight}' sailors and one hundred and fift}' troops. Having crossed 
the Atlantic, he sailed along the coast of Florida, and landed at a river 
about fifteen leagues distanct from the May. The Spaniards, to the 
number of four hundred, were well fortified, principally at the great fort, 
begun b}' the French, and afterwards repaired by themselves. Two 
leagues lower towards the river's mouth, they had made two smaller 
forts, which were defended by a hundred and twenty soldiers, well sup- 
plied with artillery and ammunition. Gourgues, though informed of 
their strength, proceeded resolutely forward, and, with the assistance of 
the natives, made a vigorous and desperate assault. Of sixty Spaniards 
in the first fort, there escaped but fifteen ; and all in the second fort were 
slain. 

After a company of Spaniards, sallying out from the third fort, had 
been intercepted, and killed on the spot, this last fortress was easily 
taken. All the surviving Spaniards were led away prisoners, with the 
fifteen who escaped the massacre at the first fort ; and, after having been 
shown the injury that they had done to the French nation, were hung on 
the boughs of the same trees on which the Frenchmen had been previ- 
ousU- siispended. Gourgues, in retaliation for the label Meneudez had 
attached to the bodies of the French, placed over the corpses of the 



230 



EARLY HISTORY OF AMERICA. 



Spaniards the following declaration : — " I do this not as to Spaniards, 
nor as to mariners, but as to traitors, robbers, and murderers." 

Having razed the three forts, he hastened his preparation to return ; 




THE RENOWNED EXPLORER, SIR MARTIN FROBISHER. 

and on the 3d of May, embarked all that was valuable in the forts, and 
set sail for La Rochelle. In that Protestant capital he was received with 
the loudest acclamations. At Bordeaux these were reiterated, and he 
was advised to proceed to Paris, where, however, he met with a verj' dif- 
ferent reception. Philip had already an embassy demanding his head. 



EARLY HISTORY OF AMERICA. 231 

whicli Charles and Catherine were not disinclined to give, and had taken 
steps for bringing him to trial, but they found the measure so excessively 
unpopular, that they were obliged to allow him to retire into Normandy. 
Subsequently he regained royal favor, and found ample employment in 
the service of his country. 

GREAT BRITAIN TAKES THE LEAD. 

Thus terminated the attempts of the French Protestants to colonize 
Florida. Had the efforts of Ribault or Laudonniere been supported by 
the Government, France might have had vast colonial dependencies be- 
fore Britain had established a single settlement in the New World, in- 
stead of inscribing on the pages of history a striking instance of the 
ruinous and enduring effects of religious hatred, alike on individual and 
national fortune. 

One of the most important objects of maritime enterprise in the 
reign of Elizabeth, was the discovery of a passage to India by the north 
of America ; but notwithstanding the utmost exertions of the most emi- 
nent naval characters, Frobisher, Davis, and Hudson, the attempt proved 
utterly abortive. In the same year, however, in which Frobisher' s third 
voyage terminated so unsuccessfully, Sir Walter Raleigh, with his half 
brother and kindred spirit. Sir Humphrey Gilbert, projected the estab- 
lishment of a colony in that quarter of America which the Cabots had 
visited in the reign of Henry VII., and a patent for this purpose was pro- 
cured without difficulty, from Elizabeth. One enterprise under Gilbert 
failed, from tempestuous weather, but by the aid of Sir George Peckham, 
Sir Walter Raleigh, and other persons of distinction, he was enabled to 
equip another expedition, with which, in 1583, he again put to sea. 

On the 30th of July, Gilbert discovered laud in about fifty-one de- 
grees north latitude ; but, finding nothing but bare rocks, he shaped his 
course to the southward, and on the 3d of August arrived at St. John's 
harbor, at Newfoundland. There were at that time in the harbor thirty- 
six vessels, beloirging to various nations, and they refused him entrance ; 
but, oa sending his boat with th^ assurance that he had no ill design, 



232 EARLY HISTORY OF AMERICA. 

and that lie had a commissiou from Queen Elizabeth, the}^ submitted 
and he sailed into the port. Having- pitched his tent on shore, in sight 
of all the shipping, and beiug attended by his own people, he summoned 
the merchants and masters of vessels to be present at the ceremony cf 
his taking possession of the island. 

When assembled his commission was read and interpreted to the 
foreigners. .-V turf and twig were then delivered to him ; and procla- 
mation was immediately made, that, by virtue of his commission from 
the Queen, he took possession of the harbor of St. John, and two hundred 
leagues every way around it, for the crown of England. He then, as 
the authorized Governor, proposed and delivered three laws, to be in 
force immediately ; by the first, public worship was established according 
to the Church of England ; by the second, the attempting of anything 
prejudicial to her Majest3''s title was declared treason ; by the third, if any 
person should utter words to the dishonor of her Majesty, he should 
lose his ears and have his ship and goods confiscated. When the proc- 
lamation was finished, obedience was promised by the general voice, 
both of Englishmen and strangers. 

GRANT OF LANDS TO SETTLERS. 

Not far from the place of meeting, a pillar was afterwards erected 
upon which were engraved the arms of England. For the better 
establishment of this possession, several parcels of land were granted 
by Sir Humphrey, by which the occupants were guaranteed grounds 
convenient to dress and dry their fish, of wliich privilege they had often 
been debarred, by those who had previously entered the harbor. For 
these grounds the}'' covenanted to pay a certain rent and service to Sir 
Humphrey Gilbert, his heirs or assigns, for ever, and to maintain pos- 
session of them, by themselves or assignees. This formal possession, 
in consequence of the discovery by the Cabots, is considered the founda- 
tion ot the right and title of ihe crown of England to the territory of 
Newfoundland, and to the fishery on its banks. Gilbert, intending to 
bring the southern parts of the country within his patent, the term of 



EARLY HISTORY OF AMERICA. 233 

which had uow nearly expired, hastened to make further discoveries 
before his return to England. 

He therefore embarked from St. John's harbor with his little fleet, 
and sailed for the Isle of Sable, by the way of Cape Breton. After 
spending eight days in the navigation from Cape Race towards Cape 
Breton, the ship Admiral was cast away on some shoals, before 
any discovery of laud, and nearly one hundred persons perished ; 
among those was Stephen Parmenius Budeius, a learned Hungarian, 
who had accompanied the adventurers, to record their discoveries and 
exploits. Two days after this disaster, no land 3'et appearing, the waters 
being shallow, the coast unknown, the navigation dangerous, and the 
provisions scanty, it was resolved to return to England. 

Changing their course accordingly, the}' passed in sight of Cape 
Race, on the 2d of September, but when they had sailed more than three 
hiindred leagues on their way home, the frigate commanded by Sir 
Humphrey Gilbert himself, foundered in a violent storm, at midnight, 
and every soul on board perished. 



STORY OF 

CAPTAIN JOHN SMITH AND 

POCAHONTAS. 

THE favorable reports whicli had been brought back to England by 
the voyagers to the New \\'orld had prevented the interest of Eng- 
lishmen in America from entireh' dying out, and some ardent 
spirits believed it possible to make that continent the seat of a pros- 
perous dominion dependent upon England. The former assistants of 
Raleigh, in particular, held to the convictions which their chief had 
entertained to the day of his death. Sir Walter Raleigh, the famous 
English navigator and courtier, had visited America and conceived the 
project of making the whole country tributary to his sovereign. 

The selfish and timid polic}' of King James having made it impos- 
sible for men to acquire distinction by naval exploits, as in the daj-s of 
Elizabeth, the more adventurous classes lent a willing ear to the plans 
for colonizing America, which were discusced in various parts of the 
kingdom. Bartholomew Gosnold, who had explored the New England 
coast, was especiallj- active in seeking to induce capitalists to send out 
a colony to it. His glowing accounts of the New World awakened a 
good deal of enthusiasm, and men who had money to invest, and were 
somewhat inclined to indulge in speculation, were ready to aid any 
scheme that promised to be lucrative and advantageous to themselves. 

Sir Ferdinand Gorges, a wealthy gentleman and Governor of Ply- 
mouth, had been greatlj* interested in America by the accounts of Way- 
mouth, who had given him two of the Indians he had brought to England. 
These succeeded in interesting others in their plans, and the result was 

that early in the reign of King James two companies were forme(i iu 
334 



STORY OF CAPTAIN SMITH AND POCAHONTAS. 235 

England for the colonization of America. One of these was the "London 
Company," composed chiefly of noblemen and merchants residing in 
London. The other was the "Plymouth Company," composed of 
"knights, gentlemen and merchants," residing in the west of England. 
King James divided Virginia into two parts. To the London Company 
he granted "South Virginia," extending from Cape Fear, in North 
Carolina, to the Potomac. To the Plymouth Company he gave " North 
Virginia," stretching from the Hudson to Newfoundland. The region 
between the Potomac and the Hudson he left as a broad belt of neutral 
land to keep the companies from encroaching upon each other's domains. 
Either was at liberty to form settlements in this region within fifty 
miles of its own border. 

COLONIES ESTABLISHED IN AMERICA. 

The London Company was the first to settle the country assigned 
it. A liberal charter was granted the company ; the lands in the New 
World were to be held by it on the simple conditions of homage and the 
payment to the crown of one-fifth of the gold and silver and one-fifteenth 
of the copper that should be discovered. A general council, residing in 
England, was to have authority over the whole province, and the mem- 
bers of this council were to be appointed and removed by the King at 
his good pleasure. Each separate colony was to be under the control of 
a colonial council residing within its own limits, and the king retained 
the right to direct the appointment or removal of the members of these 
councils at his pleasure. 

The king also reserved the supreme legislative authority over the 
colonies, and framed for their government a code of laws — "an exercise 
of royal legislation which has been pronounced in itself illegal." The colo- 
nists were placed by this code under the rule of the superior and local 
councils we have named, in the choice of which they had no voice. The 
religion of the Church of England was established as that of the colony, 
and conformity to it was secured by severe penalities. Death was the 
punishment for murder, manslaughter, adultery, dangerous seditions 



236 STORY OF CAPTAIN SMITH AND POCAHONTAS. 

aud tumults. In all cases not affecting life and limb offenders might 
be tried by a magistrate, but for capital offences trial by jury was 
secured. In tbe former cases tlie punishment of the offender was at the 
discretion of the president and council. The Indians were to be treated 
with kindness, and efforts were to be made for their conversion to Chris- 
tianity. For five years at least the affairs of the colonists were to be 
conducted in a joint stock. The right to impose future legislation upon 
the province was reserved by the king. 

Such was the form of government first prescribed for Virginia by 
England, in which, as Bancroft truly saj'S, there was "not an element 
of popular liberty." " To the emigrants themselves it conceded not one 
elective franchise, not one of the rights of self-government. They were 
to be subjected to the ordinances of a commercial corporation, of which 
they could not be members ; to the dominion of a domestic council, in 
appointing which the}' had no voice ; to the control of a superior council 
in England,which had no sympathy with their rights ; and finally, to the 
arbitrary legislation of the sovereign." 

AN EXPEDITION OF MEN. 

Under this charter the London Company prepared to send out a 
colon}' to Virginia. It was to be a commercial settlement, and the 
emigrants were composed altogether of men. One hundred and five 
persons, exclusive of the crews of the vessels, joined the expedition. Of 
these not twenty were farmers or mechanics. The remainder were 
"gentlemen," or men who had ruined themselves at home by idleness 
and dissipation. A fleet of three small ships, under command of Captain 
Newport, was assembled, and on the nineteenth of December, 1606, sailed 
for America. 

The emigrants sailed without having perfected an}' organization. 
The king had foolishly placed the names of those who were to constitute 
the government in a sealed box, which the adventurers were ordered not 
to open until they had selected a site for their settlement and were ready 
to form a government. This was most unfortunate, for during the long 



STORY OF CAPTAIN SMITH AND POCAHONTAS. 237 

voyage dissensions arose, and there was no one in the expedition who 
conld control the nnriily spirits. 

These qnarrels grew more intense with the lapse of time, and when 
the shores of Virginia were reached the seeds of many of the evils from 
which the colony afterwards suffered severely had been thoroughly sown. 
There were among the number several who were well qualified to direct 
the affairs of the expedition, but they were without the proper authority/ 
to do so, and there was no such thing as voluntary submission to be seen 
among the adventurei^s. The merits of the deserving merely excited the 
jealousy of their companions, and the great master spirit of the enter- 
prise found from the first his disinterested efforts for the good of the 
expedition met by a jealous opposition. 

DRIVEN NORTHWARD BY A STORM. 

Newport was not acquainted with the direct route, and made the old 
passage by way of the Canaries and the West Indies. He thus consumed 
the whole of the winter, and while searching for the island of Roanoke, the 
scene of Raleigh's colony, his fleet was driven northward by a severe 
storm, and forced to take refuge in the Chesapeake Bay on tbe twenty- 
sixth of April, 1607. He named the headlands of this bay Cape Henry 
and Cape Charles, in honor of the two sons of James I., and because of 
the comfortable anchorage which he obtained in the splendid roadstead 
which enters the bay opposite its mouth, he gave to the northern point 
the name of Point Comfort, which it has since borne. Passing this, a 
noble river was discovered coming from the westward, and was named 
the James, in honor of the English king. The country was explored 
with energy, and though one small tribe of Indians was found to be 
hostile, a treaty of peace and friendship was made with another at 
Hampton. The fleet ascended the river and explored it for fifty miles. 
A pleasant peninsula, on the left bank of the stream, was selected as the 
site of the colony, and on the thirteenth of May, 1607, the settlement was 
definitely begun, and was named Jamestown, in honor of the king. 

The leading spirit of the enterprise was John Smith, one of the 



238 STORY OF CAPTAIN SMITH AND POCAHONTAS. 

truest heroes of history-, wlio has beeu deserved!}- called "the father of 
\'irginia." He was still a j'oiiug man, being but thirty years of age, 
but he was old in experience and knightl}- deeds. While yet a j'outh 
he had served in Holland in the ranks of the army of freedom, and had 
travelled through France, Egypt and Italy. Burning to distinguish 
himself, he had repaired to Hungary, and had won a brilliant reputation 

by his exploits in the ranks 
of the Christian army en- 
gaged in the defence of that 
countrj- against the Moham- 
medans. He repeatedh' de- 
feated the chosen champions 
of the Turks in single com- 
bat, but being at length cap- 
tured was sent to Constanti- 
nople and sold as a slave. 
The wife of his master, pit)'- 
ing his misfortunes, sent him 
'o a relative in the Crimea, 
with a request to treat him 
with kindness, but contrary 
to her wishes, he was sub- 
jected to the greatest harsh- 
C.MT.AIN JOHN SMITH. ^^^^ 

Rendered desperate by his experience, he rose against his task- 
master, slew him, and, seizing his horse, escaped to the border of the 
Russian territory, where he was kindly received. He wandered across 
the country to Transylvania, and rejoined his old companions in arms. 
Then, filled with a longing to see his "own sweet country" once more 
he returned to England. He arrived just as the plans for the coloni- 
zation of Virginia were being matured. He readily engaged in the 
expedition organized by the London Compau}-, and exerted himself 
in a marked degree to make it a success. He was in all respects the 




STORY OF CAPTAIN SMITH AND POCAHONTAS. 239 

most capable man in the whole colony, for his natural abilities were 
fully equal to his experience. He had studied human nature under 
many forms in many lands, and in adversity and danger had learned 
patience and fortitude. His calm, cool, courage, his resolute will, and 
his intuitive perception of the necessities of a new settlement, were 
destined to make him the mainstay of the colony of Virginia, but as 
yet, these high qualities had only excited the malicious envy of his 
associates, and the efforts he had made to heal the dissensions which 
had broken out during the voyage, had made him many enemies. 

CAPTAIN JOHN SMITH. 

When the box containing the names of those who were to consti- 
tute the colonial government was opened, it was found that the king 
had appointed John Smith one of the council. Smith was at this time 
in confinement, having been arrested on the voyage upon the frivolous 
charges of sedition and treason against the crown, and his enemies, 
notwithstanding the royal appointment, excluded him from the council. 
Edward Wingfield, "a groveling merchant of the west of England," 
was chosen president of the council and governor of the colony. The 
services of Smith could not be dispensed with, however, and he was 
released from his confinement, and sent with Newport and twenty others 
to explore the river. 

The}' ascended the James to the falls, where the city of Richmond 
now stands, and visited Powhatan, the principal chief of the Indian 
nation holding the country into which they had come. He was then 
dwelling at his favorite seat on the left bank of the river, a few miles 
below the falls. Powhatan received them kindly, and silenced the 
remonstrances of his people by saying: "They hurt you not; they 
onh' want a little land." The chief was a man of powerful stature, 
"tall, sour and athletic." He was sixty years of age, and had under 
him a population of six or eight thousand souls, two thousand being 
warriors. Having carefully observed the river, Smith and Newport 
returned to Jamestown. 



240 STORY OF CAPTAIN SMITH AND POCAHONTAS. 

Their presence there was needed, for ^\'^ngfield had proved himself 
utterly unfit to govern the coloU}-. He would not allow the colonists to build 
either houses for themselves or a fortification for the common defence 
against the savages. While they were in this helpless condition they 
were suddenly attacked by a force of four hundred Indians, and were 
saved from destruction only b}' the fire of the sliipping, whicli filled the 
savages with terror and put them to flight. It is believed that the cause 
of Wingfield's singular conduct was his jealousy of Smith whose talents 
he feared would attract the support of the settlers. 

ACQUITTAL OF CAPTAIN SMITH. 

The fort was now built without delay, cannon were mounted, and 
the men trained in the exercise of arms. When the ships were in 
readiness to sail to England, it was intimated to Smith that he would 
consult his own interests by returning in them, but he refused to do so, 
and boldly demanded a trial upon the charges whicli had been preferred 
against him. The council did not dare to refuse him this trial, and the 
result was his triumphal acquittal. More than this, he succeeded so 
well in exposing the malice of his enemies that the president, as the 
originator of the charges against him, was compelled to paj' him two 
hundred pounds damages, which sum Smith generousl}' applied to the 
needs of the colonv. His seat in the council could no longer be denied 
him, and he took his place at the board to the great gain of the colony. 

Newport sailed for England about the middle of June, leaving the 
settlement in a most pitiable condition. The provisions sent out from 
England had been spoiled on the voj^age, and the colonists were too 
indolent to cultivate the land, or to seek to obtain supplies from the 
Indians. Sickness broke out among them, owing to the malarious 
character of their location, and b}' the beginning of the winter more 
than half their number had died. Among these was Bartholomew 
Gosnold, the originator of the London Compau}-, who had come out to 
Virginia to risk his life in the effort to settle the countrv. He was a 
man of rare merits, and, together with Mr. Hunt, " the preacher," who 



STORY OF CAPTAIN SMITH AND POCAHONTAS. 241 

was also one of the projectors of the company, had contributed successfully 
to the preservation of harmony in the colon3\ In the midst of these 
sufferings it was found that Wingfield was preparing to load the pinnace 
with the remainder of the stores and escape to the West Indies. He was 
deposed by the council, who appointed John Ratcliffe in his place. 

The new president was not much better than his predecessor. He 
was incapable of discharging the duties of his ofi&ce, and was perfectly 
satisfied that Smith should direct the affairs of the settlement for him. 
From this time Smith was the actual head of the government. Food was 
the prime necessity of the colony, and as it was now too late to raise it, 
Smith exerted himself to obtain it from the Indians. He purchased a 
supply, and towards the close of the autumn the wild fowl which frequent 
the region furnished an additional means of subsistence. 

EXPLORING THE WILDERNESS. 

The danger of a famine thus removed. Smith proceeded to explore 
the country. In one of these expeditions he ascended the Chickahominy 
as far as he could penetrate in his boat, and then leaving it in charge of 
two men, struck into the interior with an Indian guide. His men dis- 
obeyed his instructions, and were surprised and put to death by the 
Indians. Smith himself was taken prisoner, and deeply impressed his 
captors by his cool courage and self-possession. Instead of begging for 
his life, he set to work to convince them of his superiority over them, and 
succeeded so well that they regarded him with a sort of awe. He aston- 
ished them by showing them his pocket compass and explaining to them 
its uses, and excited their admiration by writing a letter to his friends at 
Jamestown informing them of his situation, and of the danger to which 
they were exposed from a contemplated attack of the Indians. One of 
the savages bore the letter to its destination. 

Smith had been captured by Opechancanough, a powerful chieftain 

of the Pamunkey Indians ; but as the curiosit}- of the neighboring tribes 

was greatl}- aroused by his presence, he was led in triumph from the 

Chickahominy to the villages on the Rappahannock and the Potomac, 
It 







liMt^M 






J42 POCAHONTAS INTERCKDING FOR TIIK LUE OF CAITAIN JOHN SMITH. 



STORY OF CAPTAIN SMITH AND POCAHONTAS. 243 

and theu taken through the towns to the residence of Opechancanough, 
on the Pamunkey. Here the medicine men of the tribe held a three 
days' incantation over him to ascertain his character and design. All this 
while his demeanor was calm and fearless, as if he entertained no appre- 
hension for his safety. He was regarded by the savages as a superior 
being, and was treated with kindness, though kept a close prisoner. 

ADMIRATION FOR POWHATAN. 

His fate was referred to Powhatan for decision, as the other tribes 
feared to bring the blood of such an extraordinary being upon their 
heads. Powhatan was then residing at Werowocomoco, which lay on 
the north side of Fork River, in what is now Gloucester county, Virginia. 
He received the captive in great state, surrounded by his warriors. 
"He wore," says Smith, "such a grave and majestical countenance 
as drove me into admiration to see." Brought into the presence 
of Powhatan, Smith was received with a shout from the assembled war- 
riors. A handsome young squaw brought him water to wash his hands 
and another gave him a bunch of feathers to dry them. Food was theu 
set before him, and while he applied himself to the repast a consultation 
was held by the savages as to his fate. Smith watched the proceedings 
closely and was aware from the gestures of the council that his death 
had been determined upon. Two great stones were then brought into 
the assembly and laid before the king. 

The captive was seized and dragged to the stones, forced down, and 
his head laid upon them. Two brawny savages stood by to beat out his 
brains with their clubs. During these proceedings Pocahontas, a child 
of ten or twelve years, " dearly loved daughter " of Powhatan, touched 
with pity for the unfortunate stranger, had been earnestly pleading with 
her father to spare his life. Failing in this, she sprang forward at the 
moment the executioners were about to despatch their victim, and 
throwing herself by his side, clasped her arms about his neck and 
laid her head upon his to protect him from the impending stroke. This 
remarkable action in a child so young moved the savages with profound 



244 STORY OF CAPTAIN SMITH AND POCAHONTAS. 

astonishmeut. The}' regarded it as a manifestation of the will of Heaven 
in fiivor of the captive, and it was determined to spare his life and seek 
liis friendship. 

Smith was released from his bonds, and was given to Pocahontas to 
make beads and bells for her, and to weave for her ornaments of copper. 
The friendship which the innocent .child of the forest conceived for him 
grew stronger every daj^, and ceased only with her life. Powhatan took 
him into his favor, and endeavored to induce him to abandon the English 

and cast his lot with him. He even 

*''~^'"* sought to obtain his aid in an attack 

-*# ■" 

, these offers, and bv his decision of 




^ . hostility of the savages from his 

i^^^ A^^^^il^Si friends at Jamestown, and in win- 

.-^/Ji. ^^~? (M' .A^^^^ ning their good will for the English. 

.-i>£bv-^ii|^" ' In a short while the Indians allowed 

'L ''^r^ him to return to Jamestown, upon 

i' ! -: hatan two cannon and a erindstone. 

\l Si V 1) r? I'^M.ij , Upon arrivinaf at Jamestown he 

'^' ^ ■ ^1 /3lf 'W'' ■ ''' « '" ' showed the Indians who had accom- 

panied him two of the largest can- 
non, and asked them to lift them. 
This was impossible ; nor could they succeed any better with the grind- 
stone. Smith then discharged the cannon in their presence, which so 
frightened them that thej' refused to have anything to do with them. Hav- 
ing evaded his promise in this manner. Smith bestowed more suitable 
presents upon his guides, and sent them home with gifts for Powhatan 
and Pocahontas. The savage king was doubtless well satisfied to let the 
"great guns" alone after hearing the report of his messengers concern- 
ing them, and was greatU* pleased with the gifts .«ent him. 

Smith found the colony at Jamestown, reduced to forty men and 



STORY OF CAPTAIN SMITH AND POCAHONTAS. 245 

affairs in great confusion. His compauions had believed that he had 
fallen a victim to the hostility of the Indians, and he was greeted with 
delight, as the need of his firm hand had been sadly felt. He foiind that 
a party of malcontents were preparing to run away from the colony with 
the pinnace, and he at once rallied his supporters and trained the guns 
of the fort upon the little vessel, and avowed his determination to fire 
iipon the mutineers if they sought to depart. 

HIS CAPTIVITY A BLESSING TO THE SETTLEMENT. 

His firmness put an end to this danger, and the friendly relations 
which he had managed to establish \vith the Indians now enabled him to 
buy from the savages the food necessary to sustain the colonists through 
the winter. In many ways his captivity proved a great blessing to the 
settlement. He had not only explored the country between the James 
and Potomac, and gained considerable knowledge of the language and 
customs of the natives, but had disposed the Indian tribes subject to Pow- 
hatan to regard the colony with friendship at the most critical period of 
its existence. Had the savages been hostile during this winter the 
Jamestown colony must have perished of starvation ; but now, ever}' few 
days throughout this season, Pocahontas came to the fort accompanied 
by a number of her countrymen bearing baskets of corn for the whites. 

In the spring of i6oS, Newport arrived from England, bringing with 
him a reinforcement of one hundred and twenty emigrants. The new- 
comers were jo3'fully welcomed by the colonists but they proved of no 
real advantage to the settlement. They were either idlers or goldsmiths 
who had come out to America in the hope of finding gold. The refiners 
of the party believed they had found the precious metal in a heap of 
glittering earth, of which there was an abundance near Jamestown, and 
in spite of the remonstrances of Smith, would do nothing but dig gold. 
Newport, who shared the delusion, loaded his ships with the worthless 
earth and sailed for England after a sojourn in the colon}' of fourteen 
weeks. 

"While these fruitless labors were in progress. Smith, thoroughly 



216 STORY OF CAPTAIN SMITH AND POCAHONTAS. 

disgusted with the folly of the emigrants, undertook the exploration of 
the Chesapeake Bay. He spent the summer of i6oS in visiting the 
shores of the bay and ascending its tributaries in an open boat, accom- 
panied by a few men. He explored the Chesapeake to the Susquehanna, 
ascended the Potomac to the falls, and explored the Patapsco. 

This voj'age embraced a totab distance of nearly three thousand 
miles, and resulted not only in the gaining of accurate information 
respecting the country bordering the Chesapeake, but also in establish- 
ing friendly relations with the tribes along its shores, and preparing the 
way for future friendly intercourse with them. The energetic explorer 
prepared a map of the Chesapeake and its tributaries, and sent it to his 
employers in England, by whom it was published. It is 3'et in existence 
and its accuracy and minuteness have often elicited the praise of sub- 
sequent topographers. 

A BETTER ADMINISTRATION. 

Smith returned to Jamestown on the seventh of September, and 
three days later was made president of the council. The good effects 
of his administration were soon felt. In the autumn, however, another 
reinforcement of idle and useless men arrived. Smith, indignant at the 
continued arrival of such worthless persons, wrote to the compan}- : 
" When you send again, I entreat you, rather send but thirt}- carpenters, 
husbandmen, gardeners, fishermen, blacksmiths, masons and diggers-up 
of trees' roots, well provided, than a thousand of such as we have." 

Upon the return of the fleet to England the governor exerted his 
authority to compel the idlers to go to work. It was ordei'ed that six 
hours in each da}^ should be spent in useful labor bj- each person, and 
that "he who would not work might not eat." In a short while the 
settlement began to assume the appearance of a regular habitation ; but 
still so little land had been cultivated — only about thirty or forty acres 
in all — that during the winter of 1608-9, the settlers were compelled to 
depend upon the Indians for food. Yet the prudent management of 
Smith kept the colony in good health. 



STORY OF CAPTAIN SMITH AND POCAHONTAS. 



247 



In the spring of 1609, great changes were made in the London 
Company, and a more earnest interest was manifested in the colony 
by all classes of the English people. Subscriptions were made to 
the stock of the company by many noblemen as well as merchants, 
and a new charter was obtained. By this charter the stockholders had 
the power to ap- 
point the su- 
preme council 
in England, and 
to this council 
were confided 
the powers of 
legislation and 
g o V e r n ni e u t , 
which were re- 
linquished by 
the king. The 
council appoint- 
ed the governor 
of the colony, 
who was to rule 
the settlement 
with absoHitc 
authority ac- 
cording to the 
instructions of 
the council. He 
was made mas- BUILDING the first house in jamestovvn. 

ter of the lives and liberties of the settlers by being authorized to declare 
martial law whenever in his judgment the necessity for that measure 
should arise, and was made the sole executive officer in its admin- 
istration. 

Thus the emigrants were deprived of every civil right, and were 




•248 STORY OF CAPTAIN SMITH A\D POCAHONTAS. 

placed at the lucrc}- of a governor appDiutcd by a corporation whose 
oul}^ object was to make money. The company, however, defeated this 
object by the manner in which it selected emigrants. Instead of sending 
(Hit honest and indnstrious laborers who were capable of building up 
a state, thej' sent only idlers and vagabonds, men who were neither 
willing nor fit to work. The common stock featnre was maintained, 
and thus the greatest obstacle to industry that could be devised was 
placed in the way of the success of the colony. Still there were many 
who were willing to seek the new world even under these conditions, 
and many others whose friends desired to get them out of the countrj-. 

WRECKED ON THE BERMUDAS. 

The company was soon able to equip a fleet of nine vessels con- 
taining five hundred emigrants, and a stock of domestic animals and 
. fowls was included in the outfit of the expedition. Lord Delaware, a 
nobleman, whose character commanded the confidence of his country- 
men, was made governor of the colonj- for life. As he was not able to 
sail with the expedition, he delegated his authorit}' during his absence to 
Newport, who was admiral of the fleet, Sir Thomas Gates, and Sir 
George Somers, who were to govern the colon}- until his arrival. The 
fleet sailed in the spring of 1609, but when off the American coast was 
overtaken b}- a severe storm, and two vessels — on one of which the 
admiral and the commissioners had sailed — were wrecked on one of the 
Bermuda islands. 

Seven ships reached Virginia, and brought the worst lot of emi- 
grants that had j^et been sent out to the colon}-. Smith was still acting 
president, and asthe commissioners had not arrived, was determined tohold 
his position until relieved by his lawful successors. The new emigrants 
at first refused to recognize his authorit}-, but he compelled them to 
submit, and in order to lessen the evil of their presence, divided them 
into bodies sufliciently numerous for safety, and sent them to make settle- 
ments in other parts of \'irgiuia. These settlements proved so many 
failures, and, unfortunately for the colon}-, Smith was so severely 



STORY OF CAPTAIN SMITH AND POCAHONTAS. 240 

woiiuded b}' an accidental explosion of gunpowder, in the autumn of 
1609, that he was obliged to relinquish the government and return to 
England for surgical treatment. He delegated his authority to George 
Perc}', and sailed for England, never to return to Virginia again. It was 
to him alone that the success of the colony was due, but he received in 
return nothing but ingratitude. 

The departure of Smith was followed b}- the most disastrous conse- 
quences. There was no longer an acknowledged government in Virginia, 
and the settlers gave themselves up to the most reckless idleness. Their 
provisions were quickly consumed, and the Indians refused to furnish 
them with anj- more. The friendship of the savages had been due to 
their personal regard for Smith, who had compelled the colonists to 
respect their rights and to refrain from maltreating them. Now that 
Smith was no longer at the head of affairs, the Indians regarded the 
settlers with the contempt they fully merited, and hostilities soon began. 
Stragglers from the town were cut off, and parties who went out to seek 
food among the savages were deliberately murdered. 

PLOT TO MASSACRE THE COLONISTS. 

On one occasion a plan was laid to surprise the town and massacre 
the colonists. The danger was averted by Pocahontas, who stole from 
her father's camp, through night and storm, to give warning to the 
settlers. Failing in this effort the Indians resolved to starve the colony, 
and soon the whites began to experience the sufferings of a famine. 
Thirty of them seized one of the ships, escaped to sea, and began a course 
of piracy. In six months the four hundred and ninety persons left by 
Smith in the colony at his departure had dwindled down to sixty ; and 
this wretched remnant would have perished speedily had not aid reached 
them. 

On the twenty-fourth of May, 1610, Sir Thomas Gates and the 
members of the expedition who had been wrecked on the Bermudas 
reached Jamestown after a stay of nine months on those islands, during 
which time they had built two vessels from the wreck of their ship and 



250 STORY OF CAPTAIN SMITH AND POCAHONTAS. 

the wood found on the island. In these they managed to reach Virginia, 
expecting to find the colony in a prosperous condition. The}' fonnd 
instead the sixt}^ men already mentioned, so feeble and full of despair as 
to be helpless. In the general despondency it was determined to abandon 
the colony, sail to Newfoundland, and join the fishing vessels which came 
annually from England to that island. 

Some of the emigrants wished to burn the town, but this was pre- 
vented by the resolute conduct of Sir Thomas Gates. On the seventh 
of June the settlers embarked, and that night dropped down the James 
with the tide. The next morning they were astonished to meet a fleet 
of vessels entering the river. It was Lord Delaware, who had arrived 
with fresh emigrants and supplies. The fugitives hailed the arrival of 
the governor with delight, and put about and ascended the stream with 
him. A fair wind enabled them to reach Jamestown the same night. 

FOUNDING OF A STATE. 

On the tenth of June, 1610, the foundations of the colon}- were 
solemnly relaid with prayer and supplication to Almighty God for suc- 
cess in the effort to establish a State. The authoritv of Lord Delaware 
silenced all dissensions, and his equitable but firm administration soon 
placed the settlement on a more successful basis than it had yet occu- 
pied. The labors of each day were opened with prayer in the little 
church, after which, from six in the morning till ten, and from two in 
the afternoon until four, all engaged in the tasks demanded of them. 
The good effects of the new system were soon manifest in the increased 
comfort and prosperity of the colony. In about a year the health of 
Lord Delaware gave wa}^, and he delegated his authority to George 
Percy, whom Smith had chosen as his successor, and returned to Eng- 
land. 

Fortunately for the colony, the company, before the arrival of Lord 
Delaware in England, had sent out Sir Thomas Dale with supplies. He 
reached Jamestown in May, 161 1, and finding Lord Delaware gone, 
assumed the government. He brought with hiiu a code of laws, pre- 



STORY OF CAPTAIN SMITH AND POCAHONTAS. 251 

pared and sent out by Sir Thomas Smith, the treasurer of the company, 
without the order or sanction of the council, and which established 
martial law as the rule of the colony. Though he ruled with such a 
stem hand. Dale rendered good service to Virginia by recommending to 
the company to maintain the settlement at all hazards as certain of 
yielding them a rich reward in tlie end. 

ARRIVAL OF MANY EMIGRANTS. 

This energetic appeal so greatly encouraged the council, which had 
been considerably disheartened by Lord Delaware's return, that in the 
summer of 1611 Sir Thomas Gates was sent out to Virginia with six 
ships and three hundred emigrants. He carried also a stock of cattle 
and abundant supplies. The emigrants sent out with him were of a 
better character and more industrious than any that had yet left Eng- 
land for Virginia. Gates assumed the government, and matters begun to 
prosper again. The colony now numbered seven hundred persons, and was 
deemed so prosperous that Dale, with the approval of the governor, led 
a number of the men to the vicinity of the falls of the James, and there 
established another settlement, which was called Henrico, in honor of 
the Prince of Wales. 

Among the changes for the better was the assignment to each settler 
of a few acres of land for his own cultivation. This "incipient establish- 
ment of private property " produced the happiest results, and from this 
time there was no scarcity of provisions in the colony, which became so 
powerful and prosperous as to be no longer exposed to the mercy of the 
savages. The Indians themselves were quick to notice this change, and 
some of the neighboring tribes by formal treaty acknowledged them- 
selves subjects of King James. 

The whites, however, did not always respect the rights of the 
Indians. Late in 1613, Pocahontas was betrayed into the hands of a 
foraging party under Captain Argall. Argall kept her a prisoner, and 
demanded of Powhatan a ransom. For three months Powhatan did not 
deign to reply, but prepared for war. In the meantime Pocahontas was 




^^^^^'^■■'^.!TJ^^^ 



.'0-j 



•n'PES OF NORTH AMERICAN INDIANS. 



STORY OF CAPTAIN SMITH AND POCAHONTAS. 253 

instructed in the faith of the Christians, and at length openly embraced 
it, and was baptized. Her conversion was hastened by a powerful senti- 
ment, which had taken possession of her heart. She had alwa3-s re- 
garded the English as superior to her own race, and now her affections 
ivere won b}'- a 3'oung Englishman of good character, named John Rolfe. 
Rolfe, with the approval of the governor, asked her hand of her 
father in marriage. Powhatan consented to the iinion, but refused to be 
present at the marriage, as he was too shrewd to place his person in the 
bands of the English. He sent his brother Opachisco and two of his 
sons to witness the marriage, which was solemnized in the little church 
at Jamestown, in the presence of Sir Thomas Dale, the acting governor. 
The marriage conciliated Powhatan and his tribe, who continued their 
peaceful relations with the colony. King James, however, was greatly 
displeased at what he deemed the presumption of a subject in wedding a 
princess. Pocahontas was soon after taken to England by her husband, 
and was received there with great attention and kindness. She remained 
in England for a little more than a year, and then prepared to return to 
her own countr\-. x'Vs she was about to sail, she died at the age of about 
twenty-two, A. D. 1616. She left a son, who subsequently became a 
man of distinction in Virginia, and the ancestor of some of the proud- 
est families of the Old Dominion. 



THE 

FRENCH AND INDIAN WAR; 

THK wars between the English and French in Am-rica were but 
a prelnde to the great struggle which was to decide which of 
these powers shonld control the destinies of the uen- world. The 
English, as we have seen, were growing stronger and more nnnierous 
along the Atlantic coast, and were directing the new settlements farther 
into the interior with each succeeding year. The French held Canada 
and the valley of the Mississippi, bnt their tenure was that of u military 
occupation rather than a colonization. 

Between the possessions of these hostile nations lay the valley of 
the Ohio, a beautiful and fertile region, claimed by both, but occupied 
as yet by neither. The French had explored the country, and had 
caused leaden plates engraved with the arms of France to be deposited at 
its principal points to attest their claim ; and had opened friendly 
relations with the Indians. 

The region had been frequently visited by the traders, who brought 
back reports of its remarkable beauty and fertility and of its excellent 
climate The British government regarded this region as a portion of 
Virginia, and one of the chief desires of the Earl of Halifax, the prune 
minister of England, was to secure the Ohio valley by planting an 
Eno-lish colonv in it. A company was organized in Virginia and Maryland 
for "this purpose and for the purpose of trading with the Indians, and 
^vas warmly supported by the Earl of Halifax. It was named the Ohio 
Company, and at length succeeded in obtaining a favorable charter from 
the king.' who, in March, 1749- ordered the governor of Virginia to 
assign to the Ohio Company five hundred thousand acres of land lying 
betw'een the Monongahela and Kanawha rivers, and along the Ohio. 

The company were required to despatch, within seven years at 
254 



THE FRENCH AND INDIAN WAR. 



255 



least, one hundred families to the territory granted them, to locate with- 
out delay at least two-fifths of the lauds the}- desired to occupy, and to 
build and garrison a fort at their own cost. Thej- were granted an exemp- 




FRENCH EXPLORERS BURYING LEADEN PLATES. 

tion from quit-rents and other duties for ten years, and this freedom from 
taxation was extended by the company to all who would settle in their 
domain. 

A number of Indian traders had located themselves west of the 



256 THE FRENCH AND INDIAN WAR. 

Alleghanies, and in order to supply these with the articles needed for 
their traffic with llie Indians, the Ohio Company built a trading post at 
Wills' Creek, within the limits of Maryland, on the site of the prjsent 
city of Cumberland. Here one of the easiest of the passes over the 
Alleghanies began, and by means of it the traders could easily trans- 
port their goods to the Indian couutrj' we.st of the mountains and return 
with the furs their traffic enabled them to collect. 

Being anxious to explore the country west of the mountains, the 
company employed Christopher Gist, one of the most experienced Indian 
traders, and instructed him " to examine the western country as far as 
the falls of the Ohio, to look for a large tract of good level laud, to mark 
the passes in the mountains, to trace the courses of the rivers, to count 
the falls, to observe the strength and numbers of the Indian nations." 

RETURNED IN SAFETY. 

Gist set out on his perilous missiou'on the last da}- of October, 1750, 
and crossing the mountains reached the Delaware towns on the Alleghany 
river, from which he passed down to Logstown, a short distance below the 
level of the Ohio. "You ai'e come to settle the Indian lands ; you shall 
never go home safe," said the jealous people ; but in spite of their threats 
they suffered him to proceed without molestation. He traversed the 
country to the Muskingum and the Scioto, and then crossing the Ohio 
explored the Kentucky to its source, and returned to Wills' Creek in 
safety. 

He reported that the region he had traversed merited all the praise 
that had been bestowed upon it ; that it possessed a pleasant and healthy 
climate, and was a land of great beauty. The soil was fertile and the 
streams abundant and excellent. The laud was covered with a rich 
growth of the most valuable and beautiful trees, and abounded in small level 
districts and meadows covered with long grass and white clover, on which 
the elk, the deer and the buffalo grazed in herds. Wild turkeys and other 
game abounded, and the country offered every attraction to settlers who 
were willing to improve it. 



THE FRENCH AND INDIAN WAR. 257 

Gist also reported that the agents of the French were actively- 
engaged in seeking to induce the western tribes to make war upon the 
English and prevent them from obtaining a footing west of the moun- 
tains. The purposes of the English were well known to the French 
who viewed them with alarm, as the successful occupation of the Ohio 
valley by the English would cut off the communication established by 
the French between Canada and the Mississippi. This the French were 
resolved to prevent at any cost. The Indians regarded both of the 
white nations as intruders in their country. They were willing to trade 
with both, but were averse to giving up their lands to either. " If the 
French," say they, "take possession of the north side of the Ohio, and 
the English of the south, where is the Indian's land ?" 

THE FRENCH IN THE OHIO VALLEY. 

The possession of the Ohio valley was thus of the highest importance 
to the French. Their fortified post of Fort Frontenac gave them the 
command of Lake Ontario, which they further secured by constructing 
armed vessels for the navigation of the lake. They retained their hold 
upon Lake Erie by strengthening Fort Niagara, which La Salle had 
built at the foot of that lake. They entered into treaties with the 
Shawnees, the Delawares and other powerful tribes between the lake and 
the Ohio, and steadilj^ pushed their way eastward towards the mountains. 

They began their advance into the valley of the Ohio by building 
a fort at Presque Isle, now the city of Erie, in Pennsylvania, another on 
French Creek, on the site of the present town of Waterford, and a third 
on the site of the present town of Franklin, at the confluence of French 
Creek with the Alleghany. 

These rapid advances eastward alarmed the English government, 

which instructed the governor of Virginia to address the remonstrance 

to the French authorities and to warn them of the consequences which 

must result from their intrusion into the territory of the English. To 

do this it was necessar}- for the governor to despatch his communication 

to the nearest French post b}^ the hands of some messenger of sufficient 

resolution to overcome the natural dangers of such an undertaking, and 
17 



L>r.S THK FRl'.Nni AND INDIAN WAR. 

of sufficient intelligence to gain information respecting the desigr^s and 
strengtli of the French, and Governor Dinwiddie was somewhat at a loss 
to find such a person. Fortunately the man needed was at hand, and 
the attention of the governor being called to him, his excellency decided 
to intrust him with the delicate and dangerous mission. 

The person selected for this task was a j^oung man in the twentj-- 
second year of his age, George Washington by name. He was a native 
of Westmoreland Count)-, Virginia, where he was born on the twent}-- 
second of Februar)', 1732. He was a great grandson of the Colonel 
lohu Washington, whom we have noticed as the leader of an expedition 
against the Indians in the time of Sir William Berkeley. His father, 
Augustine Washington, was a wealthy planter, but his death, when 
George was eleven j^ears old, deprived his son of his care, and also of 
the means of acquiring an education. 

WASHINGTON'S EARLY LIFE. 

He soon acquired all the learning that it was possible to gain at a 
country school, from which he passed to an academy of somewhat higher 
grade, where he devoted himself principally to the study of mathematics. 
His half-brother, Lawrence, who was fourteen years older than himself,, 
had received a careful education and directed the studies of his 3'ounger. 
brother, to whom he was devotedlj^ attached. 

Though deprived of the care of his father at such an early age, it 
was the good fortune of George Washington to possess in his mother a 
guide well qualified to fill the place of both parents to her fatherless 
children. She was a woman of rare good sense, of great decision of 
character, and one whose life was guided by the most earnest Christiau 
urinciple. Her tenderness and sweet womanlj' qualities won the de- 
voted love of her children, and her firmness enforced their obedience. 
From her, George inherited a quick and ardent temper, and from her he 
learned the lesson of self-control, which enabled him to govern it. 

As a bo}', Washington was noted for his truthfulness, his courage 
and his generosity. He was both liked and respected b}' his school- 
mates, and such was their confidence in his fairness and good judgment 



THE FRENCH AND INDIAN WAR. 259 

that lie was usually chosen the arbiter of their boyish disputes. He joined 
heartily in their sports and was noted for his skill in athletic exercises. 
He was a fearless rider and a good hunter, and by his fondness for manly 
sports developed his naturally vigorous bod}' to a high degree of strength. 
He was cheerful and genial in temper, though reserved and grave in 
manner. He earl}^ acquired habits of industrj'- and order, and there are 
still existing many evidences of the careful and systematic manner iu 
which he discharged every duty assigned him at this early age. 

At the age of fourteen it was decided that he should enter the navy, 
and his brother Lawrence, who had served with credit in that branch of 
the royal service, had no diflBcult}' in obtaining for him a midshipman's 
warrant. The ship he was to join lay in the Potomac, and his trunk was 
sent on board ; but at the last moment his mother, dreading the effect of 
the temptation of a seaman's life upon a boy so young, appealed to him 
by his affection for her to remain with her. Washington was sorely 
disappointed, but he yielded cheerfully to his mother's wish. 

HOME AT MOUNT VERNON. 

The marriage of his brother Lawrence gave to the young man a 
second home at Mount Vernon, where he passed a large part of his time. 
Here he was brought into constant contact with the most cultivated and 
refined societ}- of Virginia, an association which had a happy influence 
upon the formation of his character. There also he formed the acquaintance 
and won the friendship of Lord Fairfax, the grandson of Lord Culpepper, 
and the inheritor of Culpepper's vast estates in Virginia, which comprised 
about one-seventh of the area of the state of Virginia as it existed prior 
to the separation of West Virginia in 1861. Lord Fairfax conceived a 
great fondness for the young man, and took a deep interest in his future 
welfare. 

Washington, iipon leaving school, had chosen the profession of a 
■surveyor as his future avocation, and soon after his first meeting with 
Lord Fairfax was employed by that nobleman to surve}'- the lands belong- 
ing to him, many of which had been occupied by settlers without right 
or title. It was an arduous and responsible task, and Washington, who 



260 THE FRENCH AND INDIAN WAR. 

was just entering his seven teentli year, seemed almost too young for it ; 
but " Lord Thomas " had satisfied himself of his young friend's capability 
for it, and the result justified the opinion he had formed. His work was 
done with care and accuracy, and his measurements were so exact that 
they are still relied upon. 

His life as a survej'or was in many respects a hard one, but he enjo3'ed 
it. It gave new vigor to his naturally robust coustitution and his 
splendid figure, and while 3'et a youth he acquired the appearance and 
habits of mature manhood. He also learned forest life in all its various 
phases, and by his constant intercourse with the hunters and Indians, 
gained a knowledge of the character and habits of these wild men which 
in after 3'ears was of infinite value to him. 

HIS FAVORITE BOOKS. 

During his surveying expeditions Washington was a frequent visitor 
at Greenway Court, the seat of Lord Fairfax, where, in addition to the 
other attractions, there was a well-selected library, of which the )'oung 
man regularly availed himself His reading was of a serious and useful 
nature; "Addison's Spectator" and the "History of England" were 
among his favorite works. 

Though the heir to a considerable estate, Washington supported 
himself during this period by his earnings as a surveyor. " His father 
had bequeathed to the eldest son, Lawrence, the estate afterwards called 
Mount Vernon. To Augustine, the second son, he had given the old 
homestead in Westmoreland County, and George, at the age of twenty- 
one 3'ears, was to inherit the house and lands in Suffolk Count}'. As 
)'et, however, he derived no benefit from this landed property. But his 1 
industry' and diligence in his laborious occupation supplied him with 
abundant pecuniary means. His habits of life were simple and eco- 
nomical ; he indulged in no gay and expensive pleasures." 

In 1 75 1, in order to prepare for any emergency to which the hostilit}- 
of the French and Indians might give rise, the colony of Virginia was 
divided into military districts, each of which was placed in charge of an 
adjutant and inspector, with the rank of major, whose duty it was to 



THE FRENCH AND INDIAN WAR. 261 

keep the militia in readiness for instant service. Washington had at 
an early day evinced a great fondness for military exercises, and as a 
boy had often drilled his school-fellows in the simplest manoenvres of 
the troops. 

As he advanced towards manhood, his brother Lawrence, Adjutant 
Muse, of Westmoreland, and Jacob Vambraam, a fencing master, and 
others, had given him numerous lessons in the art of war. Though 
but nineteen years old, he was regarded by his acquaintance as one of 
the best-informed persons upon military matters in the colony, and at 
the general desire of those who knew him he was commissioned a major in 
the colonial forces, and placed in command of one of the military districts. 

SENT ON IMPORTANT MISSION. 

He discharged his duties with ability and zeal, and gave such satis- 
faction that when Governor Dinwiddle, in 1752, divided the province 
into four military districts. Major Washington was placed in command 
of the northern district. The counties comprehended in this division 
he promptly and statedly traversed, and he soon effected the thorough 
discipline of their militia for warlike operations. He was discharging 
the duties of this position when selected by the governor of Virginia to 
bear his message to the commander of the French forces on the Ohio. 

Governor Dinwiddle intrusted to his young envoy a letter addressed 
to the commander of the French forces on the Ohio, in which he 
demanded of him his reasons for invading the territory of England while 
Great Britain and France were at peace with each other. Washington 
was instructed to observe carefully the numbers and positions of the 
French, the strength of their forts, the nature of their communications 
with Canada and with their various posts, and to endeavor to ascertain 
the real designs of the French in occupying the Ohio valley, and the 
probabilities of their being vigorously supported from Canada. 

"Ye're a brawlad," said the governor, as he delivered his instructions 
to the young major, " and gin you play your cards weel, my boy, ye shall 
hae nae cause to rue your bargain." 

Washington received his instructions on the thirtieth of October, 



262 THE FRENCH AND INDIAN WAR. 

.1753, and on the same day set out for Winchester, then a frontier post, 
from which he proceeded to Wills' Creek, where he was to cross the 
mountains. Having secured the services of Christopher Gist as guide, 
and of two interpreters and four others, Washington set out on his 
journey about the middle of November. They crossed the mountains 
and journeyed through an unbroken country, with no paths save the 
Indian trails to serve as guides, across rugged ravines, over steep hills, 
and across streams swollen with the recent rains, until in nine days they 
reached the point where the Alleghany and Monongahela unite and form 
the Ohio. 

Washington carefully examined the place and was greatl}^ impressed 
with the advantages offered for the location of a fort by the point of land 
at the junction of the two rivers. The judgment expressed by him at 
the time was subsequently confirmed by the choice of this spot by the 
French for one of their most important posts — Fort Duquesne. 

INTERVIEW WITH FAMOUS CHIEF. 

Washington had been ordered by the governor to proceed direct to 
Logstown, where he was to hold an interview with the Delaware chief, 
known as the Half King, to acquaint the Indians with the nature of his 
mission and ascertain their disposition towards the English. While he 
was at this place he met several French deserters from the posts on the 
lower Ohio, who told him the location, number and strength of the 
French posts between Quebec and New Orleans by way of the Wabash 
and the Maumee, and informed him of the intention of the French to 
occupy the Ohio from its head to its mouth with a similar chain of forts. 

The Half King confirmed the story of the deserters. He had heard 
that the French were coming with a strong force to drive the English out 
of the land. A " grand talk " was held with the chiefs in council by 
Washington, and they answered him, by the Half King, that what he 
had said was true ; they were brothers, and would guard him on his way 
to the nearest French post. The}^ wished neither the English nor the 
French to settle in their country ; but as the French were the first 
intruders, they were willing to aid the English in their efforts to expel 



THE FRENCH AND INDIAN WAR. 



263 



them. They agreed to break ofif friendly relations with the French ; but 
Washington, who knew the Indian character well, was not altogether * 
satisfied with their promises. 

On the thirtieth of November he set out from Logstown with his 
companions, attended by the Half King and three other Indians, 
and on the fourth arrived at the French post at Venango. The officer in 
command of this fort had no authority to receive his letter and referred 
him to the Chevalier St. Pierre, the commander of the next post. They 

treated the English with courtesy and in- 
vited Washington to sup with them. 
When the wine was passed they drank 
deeply and soon lost their discretion. 

The sober and vigilant Washington 
noted their words with great attention and 
recorded them in his diary. " They told 
me," he writes, "that it was their absolute 
design to take possession of the Ohio, and 
by G — d, they would do it ; for, that 
although they were sensible the English 
could raise two men for their one, they 
knew their motions were too slow and dilatory to prevent any undertaking 
of theirs. They pretend to have an undoubted right to the river, from a 
discovery made by one La Salle sixty years ago ; and the rise of this ex- 
pedition is to prevent our settling on the river or waters of it, as they 
heard of some families moving out in order thereto." The French officers 
then informed Washington of their strength south of the lakes, and of 
the number and location of their posts between Montreal and Venango. 
The French exerted every stratagem to detach the Indians from Wash- 
ington's party and they met with enough success to justify Washington's 
distrust of them. All had come to deliver up the French speech-belts, 
or, in other words, to break off friendly relations with the French. The 
Delaware chiefs wavered and failed to fulfil their promise ; "but the Half 
King clung to Washington like a brother, and delivered up his belt as 
he had promised." 




THE HALF KING. 



264 THR FRENCH AND INDIAN WAR. 

The party left Veuaugo on the seventh of December, and reached 
Fort Le Boenf, the next post, ou the eleventh. It was a strong work, 
defended bj'' cannon, and near bj'^ Washington saw a number of canoes 
and boats, and the materials for bnildiug others, sure indications that an 
expedition down the river was about to be attempted. He obtained an 
interview with St. Pierre, the commander, an officer of experience and 
integrity, greatly beloved as well as feared by the Indians. He received 
the young envoy with courtes}' but refused to discuss an}- questions of 
right with him. " I am here," he said, "by the order of my general, to 
which I shall conform with exactness and resolution." 

On the fourteenth, St. Pierre delivered to Washington his answer tc 
the letter of Governor Dinwiddle, and next daj^ the part}' set out on its 
return. They descended French Creek in canoes, at no little risk, as the 
stream was full of ice. At Venango, which was reached ou the twenty- 
second, the}^ found their horses, which were so feeble that it was doubtful 
whether the}' would be able to make the journey home. 

THROUGH THE WOODS ON FOOT. 

" I put myself in an Indian walking-dress," says Washington, "and 
continued with them three days, until I found there was no possiblitv of 
their getting home in any reasonable time. The horses became less able 
to travel every day ; the cold increased very fast, and the roads were 
becoming much worse by a deep snow continually freezing ; therefore, 
as I was uneasy to get back to make report of my proceedings to his 
honor the governor, I determined to prosecute my journey the nearest 
way through the woods on foot." 

Taking Gist as his only companion, and directing their way by the 
compass Washington set out on the twenty-sixth day by the nearest way 
across the country, for the head of the Ohio. The next day an Indian 
who had lain in wait for them fired at Washington at a distance of only 
fifteen steps, but missed him, and was made a prisoner by him. Gist was 
anxious to kill the savage on the spot, but Washington would not allow 
this, aud they kept the fellow until dark, and then released him. They 
travelled all night and all the next day in order to make sure of escaping 



THE FRENCH AND INDIAN WAR. 265 

from the enemies they felt certain their freed captive would set upon 
their trail. 

At dark on the twenty-eighth they reached the Alleghany, and spent 
the night on the banks of that stream. The next morning they set to 
work with one poor hatchet to construct a raft, on which to pass the river 
which was full of floating ice. They completed their raft about sunset 
and launched it upon the stream. It was caught in the floating ice, and 
Washington was hurled ofi" into the water and nearly drowned. Unable 
to reach the opposite shore, they made for an island in mid-stream and 
passed the night there. 

The cold was intense, and Gist had his fingers and several of his 
toes frozen. The next morning the river was a solid mass of ice, hard 
enough to bear their weight. Thej' at once crossed to the opposite bank 
and continued their journe\', aud on the sixteenth of January 1754, were 
at Williamsburg, where Washington delivered to the governor of Vir- 
ginia the repl}' of the French commander, and reported the results of 
his journey. 

RETURNS EVASIVE ANSWER. 

The French commander returned a courteous but evasive answer to 
Governor Dinwiddie's communication, aud referred him for a definite 
settlement of the matter to the Marquis Duquesne, the governor of 
Canada. It was clear from the tone of his letter that he meant to hold 
on to the territory he had occupied, and the governor of Virginia was 
satisfied that Major Washington's report of his observations that St. 
Pierre was about to extend the line of French posts down the Ohio. The 
authorities of Virginia resolved to anticipate him, and in the spring of 
1754 the Ohio Compau}^ sent a force of about forty men to build a fort 
at the head of the Ohio, on the site to which Washington had called 
attention. 

In the meantime, measures were set on foot in Virginia for the pro- 
tection of the frontiers. A regiment of troops was ordered to be raised, 
and it was the general wish that Major Washington should be appointed 
to the command. He declined the commission when tendered him, on 



266 THE FRENCH AND INDIAN WAR. 

the ground of his youth and inexperience, and was made lieutenant- 
colonel, the command of the regiment being conferred upon Colonel 
Joshua Fry. Washington was ordered to repair to the west to take 
charge of the defence of the frontiers, and in April, 1754, reached Wills' 
Creek with three companies of his regiment. 

Just at this moment news arrived that the party sent to build a fort 
at the head of the Ohio had been driven away by the French. A force 
of one thousand men, with artillery, under Captain Coutrecoeur, had 
descended the Alleghany and had surrounded the English. One hour 
was given them to surrender, and being utterly unable to offer any 
resistance, they capitulated upon condition of being allowed to retire to 
Virginia. 

Immediately^ upon the withdrawal of the English, the French forces 
occupied the unfinished work, completed it, and named it Fort Duquesne. 
Tliis was a more important act than either party believed at the time. 
It was the beginning of the final struggle by which the power of France 
in America was broken. In the history of Europe this struggle is 
known as the " Seven Years' War ;" in our own history as the French 
and Indian War." 

WASHINGTON HURRIES FORWARD. 

Hostilities were now inevitable, and Washington, who was on his 
march to the Ohio when the news of the aggression of the French was 
received, resolved to push forward without delay. Colonel Fry had fallen 
sick, and the direction of affairs on the border had passed entirely into 
the hands of the young lieutenant-colonel. He intended to proceed to 
the junction of Red Stone Creek and the Monongahela, the site occupied 
by the present town of Brownsville, to erect a fort there and hold it until 
he could be reinforced. His force was poorh- provided with clothing and 
tents, and was deficient in military supplies of all kinds. The country 
to be traversed was a wild, unbroken region, withoiit roads or bridges, 
and through it the artillery and wagons were to be transported. 

The little force moved slowl}- and with difficult)', and Washington 
pushed on in advance with a small detachment, intending to secure the 



THE FRENCH AND INDIAN WAR. 267 

position on the Monongahela and await the arrival of the main body, 
when the whole force could descend the river in flat-boats to Fort 
Duquesne. 

On the twentieth of May he reached the Youghiogheny and there 
received a message from his ally, the Half King, telling him that the 
French were in heavy force at Fort Duquesne. This report was con- 
firmed at the Little Meadows by the traders, and by another message 
from the Half King on the twenty-fifth of May, warning Washington 
that a force of French and Indians had left Fort Duquesne on a secret 
expedition. Washington was sure that this expedition was destined to 
attack him, and advanced to the Great Meadows and took possession 
there. 

On the morning of the twenty-seventh Gist arrived and reported that 
he had seen the trail of the French within five miles of the Great Meadows. 
In the evening of the same day a runner came in from the Half King, and 
with a message that the French were close at hand. Taking with him 
forty men, Washington set off for the Half King's camp, and by a 
difficult night march through a tangled forest, in the midst of a driving 
rain, reached it about daylight. The runners of the Half King found 
the French encamped in a deep glen not far distant, aud it was decided 
to attack them at once. 

THE FRENCH SURPRISED AND ROUTED. 

The Half King aud his warriors placed themselves under Wash- 
ington's orders, aud the march was resiimed towards the French camp. 
The French were surprised, and an action of about a quarter of an hour 
ensued. The French lost ten men killed, among whom was their com- 
mander, Jumonville, and twenty-one prisoners. This was the first blood 
shed on the American continent in the long struggle which won America 
for the free institutions of the Anglo-Saxon race. 

Washington was very anxious to follow up the advantage he had 
gained, and had already appealed to the governoi-s of Maryland and 
Pennsylvania for assistance, but no aid reached him. Unable to advance 
in the face of the rapidly increasing forces of the French, he threw up a 



268 THE FRENCH AND INDIAN WAR. 

stockade fort at Great Meado^vs, which he named Fort Necessit}-, from 
the fact that the provisions of the troops were so nearly exhausted that 
the danger of a famine was imminent. 

On the third of July, six hundred French and one hundred Indians 
suddenly appeared before the fort and occupied the hills surrounding it. 
The attacking party were able to shelter themselves behind trees and 
could command the fort from their safe position, while the English were 
greatly exposed, and it was evident to the most inexperienced that the 
fort was untenable. Nevertheless, the work was held for nine hours 
under a heavy fire, and amid the discomforts of a severe rain-storm. At 
length De Villiers, the French commander, fearing that his ammu- 
nition would be exhausted, proposed a parley and offered terms to 
Washington. 

LOSSES ON BOTH SIDES. 

The English had lost thirty killed, and the French but three. The 
terms of capitulation proposed by De Villiers were interpreted to Wash- 
ington, who did not understand French, and in consequence of the inter- 
pretation, which was made by " a Dutchman little acquainted with the 
English tongue," Washington and his officers " were betrayed into a 
pledge which they would never have consented to give, and an act of 
moral suicide which they could never have deliberately committed. 

" The}^ understood from Vaubraam's interpretation, that no fort was 
to be built beyond the mountains on lands belonging to the King of 
France ; but the terms of the articles are ' neither in this place nor be3'^ond 
the mountains." The Virginians were allowed to march out of the fort 
with the honors of war, retaining their arms and all their stores, but 
leaving their artiller)'. This they did on the next morning, July fourth, 
1754. The march across the mountains was rendered painful by the 
lack of provisions, and after much suffering the troops arrived at Fort 
Cumberland in Maryland. Although the expedition had been unsuc- 
cessful, the conduct of Washington had been marked b)^ so much 
prudence and good judgment that he received the thanks of the general 
assembly of Virginia. 



THE FRENCH AND INDIAN WAR. 269 

Governor Dinwiddie had already thrown many obstacles in the way 
of the defence of the colony, and he now refused to reward the provincial 
officers with the promotions they had so well earned. In order to avoid 
this he dissolved the Virginia regiment, and reorganized it into inde- 
pendent companies, no officer of which was to have a higher rank than 
that of captain. It was also ordered that officers holding commisssions 
from the king should take precedence of those holding commissions 
from the colonial government. 

Washington, feeling that he could no longer remain in the service 
with self-respect, resigned his commission and withdrew to Mount 
Vernon. Soon afterwards Governor Sharpe, of Marjdand, having been 
appointed by the king commander-in-chief of the forces of the southern 
colonies, proposed to Washington, through a friend, to return to the 
army and accept the rank of colonel, but with the actual authority of 
captain. Washington declined the offer with characteristic dignity. "If 
you think me," he wrote, "capable of holding a commission that has 
neither rank nor emolument annexed to it, you must maintain a very 
contemptible opinion of my weakness, and believe me more empty than 
the commission itself." 

THE IMPENDING CONFLICT. 

In the meantime, although peace still remained nominally 
unbroken between Bngland and France, each nation was perfectly 
convinced of the certainty of a conflict in America, and each began to 
prepare for it. France sent large reinforcements to Canada, and the 
English went on rapidly with their plans for the conquest of that 
country. The British government was very anxious that the colonies 
should bear the brunt of the struggle, though it was fully determined 
to send a royal army to their assistance, and urged upon them to unite 
in some plan for their common defence. 

For the purpose of carrying out the wishes of the home government, 
a convention of delegates from seven of the colonies assembled at 
Albany, New York, on the nineteenth of June, 1754. "The Virginia 
government was represented by the presiding officer, Delance3% the 



270 THE FRENCH AND INDIAN WAR. 

lieutenant-governor of New York;" but New Hampshire, Massacliu- 
setts, Rhode Island, Connecticut, New York and Maryland were repre- 
sented by their own delegates. The first object of this convention was 
to secure the friendship of the powerful confederac}^ of the Six Nations, 
on the northern border, and this was successfully accomplished. 

The leading man of this convention was Benjamin Franklin. He 
was a native of Boston, and the son of a tallow chandler. While still a 
youth he had removed to Philadelphia, and by the force of his own 
genius had risen from poverty and obscurit}' to great prominence among 
the public men of Pennsylvania, and the literary and scientific men of 

his da}'. 

PUBLIC-SPIRITED FRANKLIN. 

He had chosen the avocation of a printer ; and bj- his industry, 
energj' and integrity had accumulated propert}' enough to make him 
independent. He was among the most active men in America in pro- 
moting the advancement of literary, scientific and benevolent institu- 
tions, and had already won a world-wide reputation by his discoveries in 
science, and especially by his investigations in electricity and lightning. 
He was not inexperienced in public affairs. He had served as clerk to 
the general assembly of Pennsylvania, as postmaster of Philadelphia, as 
a member of the provincial assembl}^ of Pennsylvania, and in 1753 had 
been appointed bj^ the king postmaster-general of the American 
colonies. 

In each of these positions he had served with distinction, and now, 
at the ripe age of forty-eight, he had come to take part in the most import- 
ant convention ever held in America. Franklin had long been of the 
opinion that the true interests of the colonies required their union in 
all measures relating to their common welfare. Believing that the force 
of circumstances would soon drive them into such a union, he sought 
to accomplish that end through the medium of this convention. 
Accordingly he presented to the convention a plan for thermion of all 
the American colonies, which union he intended should be perpetual. 

He proposed that while each colonj' should retain the separate and 
independent control of its own affairs, all should unite in a perpetual 



THE FRENCH AND INDIAN WAR. 271 

union for the management of their general affairs. This confederacy- 
was to be controlled by a general government, to consist of a governor- 
general and a council. The seat of the federal government was to be 
Philadelphia, which city he regarded as central to all the colonies. The 
governor-general was to be appointed and paid by the king, and was to 
have the power of vetoing all laws which should seem to him objection- 
able. The members of the council were to be elected triennially by the 
colonial legislatures, and were to be apportioned among the colonies 
according to their respective population. 

REGULATIONS FOR THE COLONIES. 

"The governor-general was to nominate military officers, subject to 
the advice of the council, which, in turn, was to nominate all civil officers. 
No money was to be issued but by their joint order. Each colony was 
to retain its domestic constitution ; the federal government was to regu- 
late all relations of peace and war with the Indians, affairs of trade, and 
purchases of lands not within the bounds of particular colonies ; to 
establish, organize and temporarily to govern new settlements ; to raise 
soldiers, and equip vessels of force on the seas, rivers, or lakes ; to make 
laws, and levy just and equal taxes. The grand council were to meet 
once a year to choose their own speaker, and neither to be dissolved nor 
prorogued, nor continue sitting longer than six weeks at any one time, 
but by their own consent." 

This plan met with considerable opposition, was thoroughly dis- 
cussed, and was finally adopted by the convention. It was not altogether 
acceptable to the colonies, each of which dreaded that the establishment 
of a central government would result in the destruction of the liberties 
of the individual provinces. Connecticut promptly rejected it, New 
York received it with coldness, aud Massachusetts showed a more active 
opposition to it. 

Upon its reception in England it was at once thrown aside by the 
royal government. The union proposed by the plan was too perfect and 
would make America practically independent of Great Britain, and so 
the board of trade did not even bring it before the notice of the king. 



272 THE FRENCH AND INDIAN WAR. 

Franklin regarded the failure of his plan of union with great regret. 
In after j-ears he wrote : " The colonies so united would have been suflB- 
ciently strong to defend themselves. There would then have been no 
need of troops from England ; of course, the subsequent pretext for tax- 
ing America, and the bloody contest it occasioned would have been 
avoided. But such mistakes are not new ; histor}^ is full of the errors of 
states and princes." 

The plan for the union of the colonies having failed, the British 
government resolved to take into its own hands the task of carrying on 
the war, with such assistance as the colonies might be willing to aflford. 
A million of pounds was voted for the defence of the British possessions 
in America, and four strong fleets were sent to sea, together with numer- 
ous privateers, which nearly destroyed the French West Indian trade. 

ARRIVAL OF GENERAL BRADDOCK. 

In 1755, Maior-General Edward Braddockwas appointed commander- 
in-chief of the English forces in America. He had served under the 
Duke of Cumberland, in liis expedition into Scotland against the Pre- 
tender Charles Edward, in 1746, and was regarded as one of the most 
promising officers in his majesty's service. Braddock sailed from Cork, 
in Ireland, early in January, 1755, and on the twentieth of February 
arrived at Alexandria, in Virginia. He was soon followed by two regi- 
ments of infantry-, consisting of five hundred men each, the largest 
force of regulars Great Britain had ever assembled in America. 

A conference of the colonial governors with the new commander- 
in-chief was held at Alexandria, and a plan of campaign was decided 
upon. Four expeditions were to be despatched against the French. The 
first, under Braddock in person, was to advance upon Fort Duquesne ; the 
second, under Governor Shirley, of Massachusetts, was to attempt the 
capture of Fort Niagara ; the third, under Willam John, the Indian 
agent among the Mohawks, and a man of great influence over them, was 
to be directed against Crown Point ; and the fourth was to capture the 
French posts near the head of the Bay of Fundy, and expel the French 
from Acadia. 



THE FRENCH AND INDIAN WAR. 273 

It was now evideut that the war was about to commence in good 
earnest, and tlie colonies exerted themselves to support the efforts of 
the mother country to the extent of their ability. 

General Braddock was thoroughly proficient in the theory of his 
profession, but his experience of actual warfare had been limited to a 
single campaign, and that a brief one. He possessed the entire confi- 
dence of his superiofs in England, and his faith in himself was bound- 
less. He believed that the regulars of the British army were capable of 
accomplishing any task assigned them, and entertained a thorough con- 
tempt for the provincial troops that were to form a part of his command. 
Soon after his arrival in Virginia he offered Washington a position on his 
staff as aid-de-camp with the rank of colonel, which was promptly accepted. 

AN INCOMPETENT COMMANDER. 

Had General Braddock been a different man the presence of Wash- 
ington in his military family might liave been of the greatest service to 
him, for the experience of the young colonel would have made him an 
invaluable counselor. Braddock was in a strange country, and was 
charged with the conduct of a campaign in which the ordinary rules of 
warfare as practiced in Europe could not be adhered to. He knew 
nothing of the difficulties of marching his ami}- through a tangled wil- 
derness and over a mountain range of the first magnitude. Unfortunately 
for him, he was not aware of his ignorance, and would neither ask for 
nor listen to advice or information upon the subject. 

"He was, I think, a brave man," says Franklin, "and might proba- 
1)1} have made a figure as a good officer in some European war. But he 
had too much self-confidence, too high an opinion of the validity of 
regular troops, and too mean a one of both Americans and Indians." 
During one of his interviews with him Franklin undertook to impress 
upon him the necessity of guarding against the danger of Indian 
ambuscades. "He smiled at my ignorance," says Franklin, "and 
replied : ' These savages may indeed be a formidable enemy to your raw 
American militia; but upon the king's regular and disciplined troops, 
sir, it ir, impossible they should make any impression.' " 

IS 



274 



THE FRENCH AND INDIAN WAR. 



The army assembled at Wills' Creek, to wliicli place General Brad- 
dock repaired in his coach. The bad roads had put him in a passion, 
and had broken his coach, and he was in no mood upon his arrival to 
pursue a sensible course. He was advised to employ Indians as scouts 
on the march, or to use them to protect a force of Pennsylvauiaus who 
were making a road over the mountains for the passage of the army, but 
he refused to do either. Washington urged him to abandon his wagon- 




WILLS- CREEK NARROWS, MARYLAND. 

train, to use pack-horses in place of these vehicles, and to move with as 
little baggage as possible. Braddock ridiculed this suggestion. Neither 
he nor any of his oiiicers would consent to be separated from their cum- 
brous baggage, or to dispense with any of the luxuries they had been 
used to. 

A month was lost at Wills' Creek, and in June the army began its 
march. It was greatly impeded by the diflSculty of dragging the wagons 
and artillery over roads filled with the stumps of trees and with rocks. 
Such little progress was made that Braddock, greatl}- disheartened, 
privately asked Washington to advise him what to do. As it was known 



THE FRENCH AND INDIAN WAR. 275 

that the garrison at Fort Duquesne was small, Washington advised him 
to hasten forward with a division of the army, in light marching order, 
and seize the fort before reinforcements could arrive from Canada. 

Braddock accordingly detached a division of twelve hundred men 
and ten pieces of cannon, with a train of pack-horses to carry the baggage, 
and pushed on in advance with them, leaving Colonel Dunbar to bring 
up the main division as promptly as possible. A famous hunter and 
Indian fighter, named Captain Jack, who was regarded as the most 
experienced man in savage warfare in the colonies, now offered his ser- 
vices and those of his men to Braddock to act as scouts. Braddock 
received him with frigid courtesy, and refused his offer, saying that he 
" had experienced troops upon whom he could rely for all purposes." 

THE ARMY'S SLOW ADVANCE. 

Instead of pushing on with energy with his advance division, 
Braddock moved very slowly, gaining but a little more than three miles 
a day. "They halt," wrote Washington, "to level every mole hill and 
to erect a bridge over every brook." On the eighth of July the army 
reached the east bank of the Monongahela, about fifteen miles above 
Fort Duquesne, having taken about double the necessary time in the 
march from Wills' Creek. On the same day Washington, who had 
been ill for some days, and was still unwell, rejoined Braddock. 

Early on the morning of the ninth of July the march was resumed. 
The Monongahela was forded a short distance below the mouth of the 
Youghiogheny, and the advance continued along the southern bank of 
that river. About noon the Monongahela was forded again, and the 
army was planted upon the strip of land between the rivers which form 
the Ohio. 

Washington was well convinced that the French and Indians were 
informed of the movements of the army and would seek to interfere 
with it before its arrival before the fort, which was only ten miles 
distant, and urged Braddock to throw in advance the Virginia Rangers, 
three hundred strong, as they were experienced Indian fighters. 

Braddock angrily rebuked his aide, and as if to make the rebuke 



276 



THE FRENCH AND INDIAN WAR. 



more pointed, ordered the Virginia troops and other provincials to take 
position in the rear of the regulars. The general was full}^ convinced 
of the ability of his trained troops to take care of themselves. They 
made a gallant show as they marched along with their gay uniforms, 
their burnished arms and flying colors, and their drums beating a livelv 
march. Washington could not repress his admiration at the brilliant 
sight, nor his anxiety for the result. 

In the meantime the French at Fort Duquesne had been informed 
by their scouts of Braddock's movements, and had resolved to ambus- 




I 



DISASTROUS DEFEAT OF GENERAL RRADDOCK. 

cade him on his march. Early on the morning of the ninth a force of 
about two hundred and thirty French and Canadians and six hundred 
and thirty-seven Indians, under De Beaujeu, the commandant at Fort 
Duquesne, was despatched with orders to occupy a designated spot and 
attack the enemy upon their approach. Before reaching it, about two 
o'clock in the afternoon, they encountered the advance force of the 
English army, under Lieutenant-Colonel Thomas Gage, and at once 
attacked them with spirit. 



THE FRENCH AND INDIAN WAR. 277 

The English army at this moment was moving along a narrow 
road, abont twelve feet in width, with scarcely a scont thrown out in 
advance or upon the flanks. The engineer who was locating the 
road was the first to discover the enemy, and called out : "French and 
Indians ! " Instantly a heavy fire was opened upon Gage's force, and 
his indecision allowed the French and Indians to seize a commanding 
ridge, from which they maintained their attack with spirit. There, 
concealed among trees, they were almost invisible to the English, who 
were fully exposed to their fire, as they occupied a broad ravine, covered 
with low shrubs, immediately below the eminence held by the French. 

HEAVY FIRING AND FIERCE YELLS. 

The regulars were quickly thrown into confusion by the heavy fire 
and the fierce yells of the Indians, who could nowhere be seen, and their 
losses were so severe and sudden that they became panic-stricken. 
They were ordered to charge up the hill and drive the French from 
their cover, but refused to move, and in their terror fired at random into 
the woods. In the meantime the Indians were rapidly spreading along 
the sides of the ravine and continuing their fire from their cover among 
the trees with fearful accuracy. 

The advance of the English was driven back, and it crowded upon 
the second division in utter disorder. A reinforcement of eight hundred 
men, under Colonel Burton, arrived at this moment, but only to add to 
the confusion. The French pushed their lines forward now and increased 
the disorder of the English, who had by this time lost nearly all their 
of&cers. Braddock now came up and gallantly exerted himself to restore 
order, but ''the king's regulars and disciplined troops" were so utterly 
demoralized that not one of his commands was obeyed, and his defeat 
was complete. 

The only semblance of resistance maintained by the English was 
by the Virginia Rangers, whom Braddock had insulted at the beginning 
of the day's march. Immediately upon the commencement of the battle 
they had adopted the tactics of the Indians, and had thrown themselves 
behind tiees, from which shelter they were rapidly picking off the 



278 THE FRENCH AND INDIAN WAR. 

Indians. Washington entreated Braddock to allow the regulars to follow 
the example of the Virginians, but he refused, and stubbornly endeav- 
ored to form them in platoons under the fatal fire that was being poured 
upon them by their hidden assailants. Thus through his obstinacy 
many useful lives were needlessly thrown away before he would admit 
his defeat. 

The officers did not share the panic of the men, but behaved with 
the greatest gallantr}'. They were the especial marks of the Indian sharp- 
shooters, and many of them were killed or wounded. Two of Braddock's 
aides were seriously wounded, and their duties devolved upon Washington 
in addition to his own. He passed repeatedly over the field, carrying 
the orders of the commander and encouraging the men. When sent to 
bring up the artiller}', he found it surrounded b}^ Indians, its commander, 
Sir Peter Halket, killed, and the men standing helpless from fear. 
Springing from his horse, he appealed to the men to save the guns, 
pointed a field-piece and discharged it at the savages, and entreated the] 
gunners to rally. 

FOUR BULLETS THROUGH HIS COAT. 

He could accomplish nothing by either his words or example. The 
men deserted the guns and fled. In a letter to his brother, Washington 
wrote : "I had four bullets through my coat, two horses shot under me, 
yet escaped unhurt, though death was levelling my companions on every 

side around me." 

Braddock had five horses shot under him, and at length himself 
received a mortal wound. As he fell, Captain Stewart, of the Virginia 
troops, caught him in his arms. He was borne from the field, though 
he begged to be left to die on the scene of his defeat. His fall was for- 
tunate for the army, which it saved from destruction. 

The order was given to fall back, and the "regulars fled like sheep 
before the hounds." The French and Indians pressed fonvard in pursuit, 
and all would have been lost had not the Virginia Rangers themselves 
been in the rear, and covered the flight of the regulars with a determina- 
tion which checked the pursuers. The artillery, wagons, and all the 



THE FRENCH AND INDIAN WAR. 279 

camp train was abandoned, and the savages, stopping to plunder these, 
allowed the fugitives to recross the river in safety. 

Having seen the general as comfortable as circumstances would 
permit, Washington rode all that night and the next day to Dunbar's 
camp to procure wagons for the wounded, and soldiers to guard them. 
With these he hastened back to the fugitives. 

Braddock, unable to ride or to endure the jolting of a wagon, was 
carried in a litter as far as the Great Meadows. He seemed to be heart- 
broken and rarely spoke. Occasionally he would say, as if speaking to 
himself, with a deep sigh, " Who would have thought it ?" It is said 
that he warmly thanked Captain Stewait for his care and kindness, and 
apologized to Washington for the manner in which he had received his 
advice. He had no wish to live, and he died at Fort Necessity on the 
night of the thirteenth of July. He was buried the next morning before 
daybreak as secretly as possible for fear that the savages might find and 
violate his grave. Close by the national road, about a mile west of Fort 
Necessity, a pile of stones still marks his resting place. 

ALARMING DISASTER TO THE ENGLISH. 

The losses of the English in the battle were terrible. Out of 
eighty-six officers, twenty-six were killed and thirty-six wounded. 
Upwards of seven hundred of the regulars were killed and wounded. The 
Virginian Rangers had suffered terrible losses, for they had not only 
borne the brunt of the battle, but had lost man}' of their number by the 
random fire of the frightened regulars. Dunbar, who succeeded Braddock 
in the command, still had fifteen hundred effective men left to him ; but 
he was too badly frightened to attempt to retrieve the disaster, which a 
competent officer might have done with such a force. He broke up his 
camp, destroyed his stores, and retreated beyond the mountains. Dis- 
regarding the entreaties of the colonists not to leave the frontiers 
exposed to the savages, he continued his retreat to Philadelphia, and 
went into winter quarters there, to get ready for future operations. 

The effect of these reverses upon the colonists was most marked. 
When they understood that Braddock's splendid force of disciplined 



280 THE FRENCH AND INDIAN WAR. 

regulars had been routed by a mere handful of French and Indians, their 
respect for the invincibility of British troops was destroyed ; and their 
confidence in their own prowess was greatlj' increased by the proud 
reflection that the only thing that had been done to save the arni}^ of 
Braddock from total destruction had been accomplished b}' the pro- 
vincials. Washington's conduct was a subject of praise in all the 
colonies, and brought his name conspicuously before the whole people of 
America. In a sermon preached a few months after Braddock's defeat, 
the Rev. Samuel Davies, a learned clergyman, spoke of him as " that 
heroic 3routh, Colonel Washington, whom I cannot but hope Providence 
has hitherto preserved in so signal a manner for some important service 
to his country." 

FRONTIER HAS NO DEFENCE. 

The retreat of Dunbar left the frontier of Virginia and Pennsyl- 
vania at the mere}' of the savages, who maintained a desultory but 
destructive warfare along the entire border. The defence of this exposed 
region was intrusted to Colonel Washington ; but he had so few men 
as to make his undertaking a hopeless one. The frontier settlements of 
Virginia were destroyed ; the beautiful valle}- of Shenandoah was 
ravaged with merciless fury, and the more protected regions were kept in 
a state of constant uneasiness and alarm. Governor Dinwiddle was 
repeatedly appealed to to furnish more men, but refused, and endeavored 
to excuse his delinquency b}- saying: "We dare not part with any of 
our white men to any distance, as we must have a watchful eye over our 
negro slaves." 

Pennsylvania met the troubles with greater vigor and resolutioc 
About thirty miles above Fort Duquesne, on the Alleghany River, was 
the Indian village of Kittanning, the home of a noted chief named Cap- 
tain Jacobs. Together with the Delaware chief Shingis, he had, at tlie 
instigation of the French, kept up a continual warfare upon the frontier 
settlements. A military force for the defence of the frontier was raised 
bv the colony and placed under the command of Benjamin Franklin as 
colonel. He soon resigned, and was succeeded by Colonel John 



THE FRENCH AND INDIAN WAR. 



281 




Armstrong, a man better suited to the position, and who subsequent!}- 
became a major-general in the war of the Revolution. 

Armstrong resolved to destroy Kittanning and the tribe inhabiting 
it as the best means of putting a stop to their outrages, and called for 
volunteers for the enterprise. Three hundred men responded. Toward 
the last of September, 1756, they crossed the mountains on horseback, 
and in a few days reached the vicinit}' of Kittanning. Dismounting, 
and leaving their horses in charge of a guard, they silentl}- surrounded 
the village. The Indians spent the night in carousing within hearing 

of the whites, and 

retired to rest at a 
very late hour. Just 
before daybreak the 
whites attacked the 
village and set it on 
fire. It was com- 
pletely destroyed, 
and Jacobs and all 
but a handful of his 
men were slain. 
The few survivors 
fled farther west, and 
the Pennsylvania 
frontier was relieved 
of the sufferings it 
had so long endured. 
While the events we have related were transpiring in the Ohio 
valley other expeditions were despatched against the French. One of 
these was directed against that part of x\cadia, or Nova Scotia, which 
still remained in the hands of the French. It lay at the head of the 
Bay of Fundy, and was defended by two French forts. This region 
was the oldest French colony in North America, having been settled 
sixteen years before the landing of the Pilgrims, but was regarded by 
the English as within their jurisdiction. 




BURNING OF KITTANNING BY GEN. ARMSTRONG. 



282 THE FRENCH AND INDIAN WAR. 

lu Maj^ 1755, au expedition of three thousand New England troops 
was despatched from Boston, under Colonel John Winslow, to attack 
these forts and establish the English authorit}- over the French settle- 
ments. Upon reaching the Bay of Fundy, Winslow was joined by three 
hundred English regulars under Colonel IMonckton, who assumed the 
command. The forts were taken with comparatively little effort, and 
the authorit}' of England was extended over the whole of Nova Scotia. 
The Acadians agreed to acknowledge the authority of their new masters, 
and to observe a strict neutrality between France and England in the 
war; and the English on their part promised not to require of them the 
usual oaths of allegiance, to excuse them from bearing arms against 
France, and to protect them in the exercise of the Catholic religion. 

PEACEFUL AND HAPPY COMMUNITY. 

The Acadians numbered about seventeen thousand souls. They 
were a simple and harmlesss people, and were enjoying in a marked 
degree the blessings of industry and thrift. They had begun their 
settlements bv depending upon the fur trade and the fisheries for their 
support, but had abandoned these pursuits for that of agriculture, which 
was alread\- yielding them rich rewards for their skill and labor. Thej^ 
were proud of their farms and took but little interest in public affairs, 
scarce!}' knowing what was transpiring in the world around them. 

It is hard to imagine a more peaceful or a happier community than 
this one at the time they passed under the baleful rule of England. 
Crime was unknown among them, and the}- seldom carried their disputes 
before the English magistrates, but settled them by arbitration of their 
old men. They encouraged early marriages as the best means of pre- 
serving the morality of their people ; and when a young man married, 
his neighbors turned out in force and built him a house, and for the first 
year of his marriage aided him to establish himself firmly, while the 
bride's relatives helped her to furnish the home thus prepared. 

Thus the people were taught to regard and practice neighborly 
kindness as one of the cardinal Christian virtues. They were devoted 
Catholics and practiced their religion without bigotry. They were attached 



THE FRENCH AND INDIAN WAR. 283 

ro the f die of France by language and religion, and would have been glad 
to see her authority re-established over them ; but they submitted peace- 
fully to the rule of the English and faithfully observed the terms of 
their surrender. 

Unfortunately for the Acadians their possessions soon began to 
excite the envy of the English. lyawrence, the governor of Nova Scotia, 
expressed this feeling in his letter to Lord Halifax, the English premier. 
"They possess the best and largest tract of land in this province," he 
wrote ; " if they refuse the oaths, it would be much better that they 
were away." The English authorities had prepared a cunningly 
devised scheme for dispossessing these simple people of their homes, 
and they now proceeded to put it in execution. The usual oaths of 
allegiance had not been tendered to the Acadians upon their surrender, 
as it was known that as Frenchmen and Catholics they covild not take 
them, as they required them to bear arms against their own brethren 
in Canada, and to make war upon their religion. 

WOULD NOT BOW TO BRITAIN. 

It was resolved now to offer the oaths to them, and thus either 
drive them into rebellion or force them to abandon their homes. When 
lliis intention was known, the priests urged them to refuse the oaths. 
"Better to surrender your meadows to the sea," they declared, "and 
3'our houses to the flames, than, at the peril of j^our souls, take the oath 
of allegiance to the British goverument." As for the Acadians them- 
selves, "they, from their very simplicity and anxious sincerity, were 
uncertain in their resolves ; now gathering courage to flee beyond the 
isthmus, for other homes in New France, and now yearning for their 
own houses and fields, their herds and pastures." 

The ofi&cers sent by the English authorities to enforce their 
demands conducted themselves with a haughtiness and cruelty which 
added greatly to the sorrows of the Acadians. Their titles to their 
lands were declared null aud void, and all their papers and title-deeds 
were taken from them. Their property was taken for the public service 
without compensation, and if they failed to furnish wood at the times 



•284 THE FRENCH AND INDIAN WAR. 

required, the English soldiers "might take their houses for fuel." 
Their guns were seized, and they were deprived of their boats on the 
pretext that they might be used to communicate with the French in 
Canada. 

At last, wearied out with these oppressions, the Acadians offered to 
swear' allegiance to Great Britain. This, however, formed no part of 
the plan of their persecutors, and thej^ were answered that by a British 
statute persons who had been once offered the oaths, and who had refused 
thcni, could not be permitted to take them, but must be treated as 
Popish recusants. 

BANISHMENT OF THE ACADIANS. 

This brought matters to a crisis, and the English now resolved to 
strike the decisive blow. A proclamation was issued, requiring " the 
old men, and young men, as well as all lads over ten years of age," to 
assemble on the fifth of September,i755, at a certain hour, at designated 
places in their respective districts, to hear the "wishes of the king." 
In the greater number of places the order was obe3-ed. What happened 
at the village of Grand Pre, the principal settlement, will show the 
course pursued b}' the English in all the districts. Four hundred and 
eio'hteen of the men of the place assembled. They were unarmed, and 
were marched into the church, which was securel}- guarded. 

Winslow, the New England commander, then addressed them as 
follows: "You are convened together ^-^ manifest to you his majesty's 
final resolution to the French inhabitants of this his province. Your land." 
and tenements, cattle of all kinds, and live stock of all sorts, are for- 
feited to the crown, and von yourselves are to be removed from this his 
province. I am, through liis majesty's goodness, directed to allow you 
libert}- to carr}- off }-our money and household goods, as man}- as you 
can, without discommoding the vessels \-ou go in." He then declared 
them, together with their wives and children, a total number of nineteen 
hundred and twenty-three souls, the king's prisoners. 

The announcement took the unfortunate men b}' surprise, and 
filled them with the deepest indignation ; but the)' were unarmed and 



THE FRENCH AND INDIAN WAR. 285 

uuable to resist. They were held close prisoners in the church, and their 
homes, which they had left in the morning full of hope, were to see them 
no more. They were kept without food for themselves or their children 
that day, and were poorly fed during the remainder of their captivity. 

They were held in confinement until the tenth of September, when 
it was announced that the vessels were in readiness to carry them awa}-. 
They were not to be allowed to join their brethren in Canada lest the}^ 
should serve as a reinforcement to the French in that province, but were 
to be scattered as paupers through the English colonies, among people 
of another race and a different faith. 

On the morning of the tenth the captives were drawn up six deep. 
The English, intending to make their trial as bitter and as painful as 
possible, had resolved upon the barbarous measure of separating the 
families of their victims. The young men and boys were driven at the 
point of the bayonet from the church to the ship and compelled to 
embark. They passed amid the rows of their mothers and sisters, who, 
kueeling, prayed Heaven to bless and keep them. Then the fathers 
and husbands wex^e forced by the bayonet on board of another ship, and 
as the vessels were now full, the women and children were left behind 
until more ships could come for them. 

"OUR SOLDIERS HATE THEM." 

They were kept for weeks near the sea, suffering greatly from lack 
of proper shelter and food, and it was December before the last of them 
were removed. Those who tried to escape were ruthlessly shot down by 
the sentinels. "Our soldiers hate them," wrote an English officer, 
" and if they can but find a pretext to kill them, they will." 

In some of the settlements the designs of the English were sus- 
pected and the proclamation was not heeded. Some of the people fled 
to Canada ; others sought shelter with the Indians, who received them 
with kindness ; others still fled to the woods, hoping to hide there till 
the storm was over, The English at once proceeded to lay waste their 
homes ; the country was made desolate in order that the fugitives might 
be compelled through starvation to surrender themselves. 



■280 THK FRENCH AND INDIAN WAR. 

Seven thousand Acadiaus were torn from their homes and scattered 
among the English colonies on the Atlantic Coast, from New Hampshire 
to Georgia. Families were utterly broken np, never to be reunited. 
The colonial newspapers were filled for man}' years with mournful 
advertisements, inquiring for a lost husband or wife; parents 
sought their missing children, and children their parents in this way. 
But of all these inquiries few were answered. The exiles were doomed 
to a parting worse than death, and their captors had done their work so 
well that human ingenuity could not undo it. Some of those who had 
been carried to Georgia attempted to return to their homes. They 
escaped to sea in boats, and coasted from point to point northward until 
they reached New England, when they were stemh' ordered back. Their 
homes were their own no longer. 

THOUSANDS FLED TO CANADA. 

Alore than three thousand Acadians fled to Canada, and of these 
about fifteen hundred settled south of the Ristigouche. Upon the 
surrender of Canada the}' were again subjected to the persecutions of the 
English. "Once those who dwelt in Pennsylvania presented a humble 
petition to the Earl of London, then the British commander-in-chief in 
America, and the cold-hearted peer, oflfended that the pra^^er was made in 
French, seized their five principal men, who in their own land had been 
persons of dignity and substance, and shipped them to England, with the 
request that they might be kept from ever again becoming troublesome 
bv being consigned to service as common sailors on board ships of war. 

"No doubt existed of the king's approbation. The lords of trade, 
more merciless than the savages and than the wilderness in winter, 
wished verj- much that every one of the Acadians should be driven out ; 
and when it seemed that the work was done, congratulated the king 
that the ' zealous endeavors of Lawrence had been crowned with an 
entire success.' I know not if the annals of the human race keep the 
record of sorrows so wantonly inflicted, so bitter and so perennial, as fell 
upon the French inhabitants of Acadia. ' We have been true,' the}- 
said of themselves, ' to our religion, and true to ourselves ; yet nature 



THE FRENCH AND INDIAN WAR. 287 

appears to consider lis only as the objects of public vengeance.' The 
hand of the English official seemed under a spell with regard to them ; 
and was never uplifted but to curse them." 

While these sorrows were being heaped upon the helpless Acadians 
by England, the provincial forces were serving the cause elsewhere with 
more credit to their manhood. As has been stated, the expedition against 
the French fort at Crown Point, on Lake Champlain, had been intrusted 
to General William Johnson. His army consisted principalh^ of troops 
from Massachusetts and Connecticut. They were joined at Albany by 
a regiment from New Hampshire. The troops rendezvoused at the head 
of boat navigation, on the Hudson, in Juh-, 1755, under the command 
of General Lymau. They numbered about six thousand men. A fort 
was built and named by the troops in honor of their commander, Fort 

Lyman. 

FIVE THOUSAND MEN UNDER JOHNSON. 

In August, J ohuson arrived with the stores and artillery, and assumed 
the command of the expedition. He ungenerously changed the name of 
the fort to Fort Edward. Leaving a strong force to garrison it, he 
moved with five thousand men to the head of Lake George, from which 
he intended to descend the lake in boats. 

The French had been informed of Johnson's movements b}' their 
scouts. Baron Dieskau, the governor of Canada, placed the entire arms- 
bearing popiilation of the Alontreal district in the field and resolved to 
prevent Johnson from reaching Crown Point by attacking him in his 
own countr3^ With a force of two hundred French regulars and about 
one thousand two hundred Indians, he set out across the countr}- to 
attack Fort Edward. Upon arriving in the vicinity of the fort the 
Indians learned that it was defended by artillery, of which they were 
greatly afraid, and refused to attack it. Dieskau was, therefore, com- 
pelled to change his plan, and resolved to strike a blow at Johnsons' 
camp, which he was informed was without cannon. 

In the meantime the scouts of the English had detected the move- 
ment against Fort Edward. Ignorant of the change in Dieskait's plans 



288 



THE FRENCH AND INDIAN WAR. 



Jolinson sent a force of one tliousaud men, under Colonel Epliraim Will- 
iams, of Massachusetts, and two hundred Mohawks, under their famous 
chief Hendrick, to the relief of the fort. Their march was reported to 
the French, who placed themselves in ambush ' along the road they were 
pursuing, and attacked them as soon as they had fairl}- entered the defile. 
The English were at once thrown into confusion. Hendrick was shot 

down at the first fire, and Williams 
fell a few moments later. The Eng- 
lish and Mohawks then began a 
rapid retreat to their camp, closely 
pursued by their assailants. 

The saund of the firing was 
soon heard in Johnson's camp, and 
as it drew nearer it became appar- 
ent that the detachment was re- 
treating. The troops were gotten 
underarms, and the trees in front of 
the camp were hurriedly felled to 
form a rude breastwork. A few can- 
non liad just arrived from the 
Hudson, and these were placed to 
command the road by which the 
French were approaching. These 
3j arrangements were just completed 
THK ^.u.l^.\ili•,^ I'i- 1 HE HUDSON. w'heu the fugitives of Williams' 
command appeared in full retreat, with the French and Indians but a 
few hundred yards behind them. 

Dieskau urged his men forward with the greatest energy,intending to 
force his way into the English camp along with the fugitives. The artil- 
lery was carefull}' trained upon the road by which he was advancing, and 
the moment the fugitives were past the guns they opened with a terrific 
fire of grape, which caused the Canadians and Indians to break in con- 
fusion and take to the woods for shelter. 




THE FRENCH AND INDIAN WAR. 289 

The regulars held their ground, aud nuiiutaiued a determined con- 
test of five hours, in which they were nearly all slain. The Indians and 
Canadians did little execution, as they stood in dread of the artillery. 
At length Dieskau, seeing that his effort had failed, drew off his men, 
and retreated. He was pursued for some distance by the English. 
Towards evening he was suddenly attacked by the New Hampshire regi- 
ment, which was marching from Fort Edward to Johnson's assistance. 
The French were seized with a panic at this new attack, and abandoning 
their brave commander fled for their lives. Dieskau, who had been 
severely wounded several times, was taken prisoner. He was kindly 
treated, and was subsequentlv sent to England, where he died. 

THE WRONG MAN REWARDED. 

General Johnson wasslightlv wounded at the commencement of the 
battle, and withdrew from the field, leaving the command to General 
Lyman, to whom the victory was really due. Notwithstanding this 
Johnson did not even mention Lyman's name in his report of the battle, 
but claimed all the honor for himself. He was rewarded by the king 
with a baronetcy, and the gift of twenty-five thousand dollars. General 
Lyman was not even thanked for his services. 

Johnson made no effort to improve his victory. The expediti(ni 
against Crown Point, which might now have been undertaken with a 
better prospect of success, was abandoned, and Johnson contented him- 
self with building a useless log fort at the head of Lake George, which 
he named Fort William Henry. Late in the fall he placed a garrison in 
this fort, and then returned to Albany, where he disbanded his army. 

The expedition under Governor Shirley, against Fort Niagara, was 
equally unsuccessful. By the month of August Shirley had advanced 
no farther than Oswego. Here he received the news of Braddock's 
defeat, which so disheartened him that, after building and garrisoning 
two forts at Oswego, he returned to Albany. By the death of Braddock, 
Shirley succeeded to the chief command of all the royal forces in 
America. 

19 



290 THI-: FRKNCH AND INDIAN WAR 

lu December, 1755, Shirley held a confereuce with the colonial gov 
eruors, at New York, to decide upon the campaign for the next 3'ear. It 
was agreed that three expeditions should be undertaken in 1756 : one 
against Niai-gara ; a second against Fort Duquesne, and a third against 
Crown Point. In the meantime Lord Loudon was appointed by the 
king commander-in-chief of the forces in America. He sent over General 
Abercrombie as his lieutenant. Abercrombie arrived in June with 
several regiments of British regulars. He relieved General Shirley from 
command, but nothing was to be done until the arrival of the com- 
mander-in-chief, who did not reach America until July. 

Lord Loudon was a more pompous andslower man than Braddock, and 
more incompetent. A force of seven thousand men was assembled at Albany 
for the expedition against Ticonderoga and Crown Point, and Loudon 
at once repaired thither and assumed the command. The colonists were 
confident that something of importance would now be accomplished ; but 
they were destined to disappointment. The commander-in-chief and his 
subordinates spent their time in settling the relative rank of the royal 
and provincial ofi&cers. 

ROBBED OF WELL-EARNED HONORS. 

Notwithstanding the fact that all that had been accomplished during ] 
the war had been gained by the colonial force.s, there was an iniquitous 
regulation which gave the precedence to the lowest officer holding a 
royal commission over one holding a higher rank from any of the col- 
onies. This led to many disputes, and the colonists saw themselves 
robbed of the honors thej- had so fairly won. This was only one of the 
many wrongs by which Great Britain succeeded in alienating the people 
of America from their attachment to her. 

In the meantime Dieskau had been succeeded as Governor of Canada 
by the Marquis de Montcalm, the ablest of the rulers of New France. 
He was a man of genuine abilit}- and of indomitable energy. He reached 
Quebec in 1756, and at once set out for Ticonderoga, which he placed in a 
state of defense. Perceiving the exposed condition of the English forts at 



THE FRENCH AND INDIAN WAR. 291 

Oswego lie resolved to capture tliem. Collecting a force of five thousand 
Frenchmen, Canadians and Indians, he crossed the lake from Frontenac, 
and reached Oswego on the fifth of August. He soon drove the English 
out of Fort Oswego ; but Fort Ontario, the second work, opposed a more 
vigorous resistance to him. 

The garrison held out until their commander. Colonel Mercer, was 
killed, and they had lost all hope of receiving aid from Albany, when they 
capitulated. An immense amount of military stores, one hundred and 
thirty-five pieces of cannon, and all the boats and vessels Shirley had 
prepared for the expedition against Niagara fell into the hands of 
Montcalm. The Iroquois had viewed the erection of the forts at Oswego 
b}' the English with great jealousy, and in order to conciliate them 
Montcalm wisely destroyed the works, and withdrew into Canada. 

CAPTURE OF THE FORTS. 

Loudon had detached a force under Colonel Webb to the assistance 
of the Oswego forts, but it was sent so late that it was met on the way 
by the news of the capture of the forts. Colonel Webb, in dismay, fell 
back rapidly, and obstructed the road to Albany. 

Having failed to accomplish anything against the enemy Lord 
Loudon now undertook to subjugate the colonies of New York and 
Pennsylvania. He was firmly convinced that the colonists needed to be 
taught submission to the will of the royal commander, and as he had 
been made a sort of viceroy of all the colonies, he thought the present a 
fitting occasion to teach them this lesson. He demanded of the cities of 
Albany, New York and Philadelphia free quarters for his troops during 
the winter. The mayor of New York refused the demand "as contrary 
to the laws of England and the liberties of America." " G — d d — n my 
blood," said the viceroy to the mayor ; "if 3-ou do not billet nn- officers 
upon free quarters this day, I'll order here all the troops in North America 
under my command, and billet them myself upon the city." 

There was no reasoning with " the master of twenty legions," and 
the magistrates were obliged to get up a subscription for the free support, 



2f)'2 THE FRENCH AND INDIAN WAR. 

during the winter, of an army that had passed a wliole campaign with- 
out coming in sight of the enemy. In Philadelphia the matter was 
settled very much in the same way. Albany was also obliged to submit,] 
but the magistrates took occasion to tell the royal officers that they didj 
not want their services, as they could defend their frontier themselves. 

"The frontier was left open to the French ; this quartering troops! 
in the principal towns, at the expense of the inhabitants, by the illegal' 
authority of a military chief, was the great result of the campaign." It 
was becoming clear to the colonists that their safet}^ from the depreda- 
tions of the French and savages was not to be gained by the royal troops, 
but by their own efforts. 

WASHINGTON IN THE FIELD. 

A congress of governors was held at Boston in January, 1757, and 
it was resolved that there should be but one expedition this year, and 
that this should be sent under the Earl of Loudon against Louisburg. 
The frontier posts, especially Forts Edward and William Henry, were! 
to be defended, and Washington, with the Virginia troops, was to guard 
the border of that colony against the expeditions of the French from 
Fort Duqnesne. The last was a difficult and almost impossible duty, 
for the French from Fort Duqnesne could choose their point of attack 
anywhere on the long and exposed frontier, while the force under 
Washington was utterly inadequate to the task of watching the 
entire line. 

Leaving Bouquet to guard the frontier of Carolina against the 
Cherokees, and Webb to hold the countrj'^ beteen Lake George and the 
Hudson, Lord Loudon, on the twentieth of June, 1757, sailed from New 
York with six thousand regulars to attack Louisburg. He proceeded to 
Halifax, where he was joined by <i fleet of eleven ships of war and four 
thousand troops, bringing his whole force to ten thousand regulars and 
sixteen ships of the line and a number of frigates. 

The campaign of this redoubtable warrior is thus described by Ban- 
croft : " He landed (at Halifax), levelled the uneven ground for a parade, 



THE FRENCH AiND INDIAN WAR. 



293 



planted a vegetable garden as a precaution against the scurvy, exercised 
the men in mock battles and sieges and stormings of fortresses, and 
when August came, and the spirit of the arnu- was broken, and Hay, 
a major-general, expressed contempt so loudly as to be arrested, the 
Lro'ips were embarked, as if for Louisburg. But ere the ships sailed, the 




SITE OF FORT WILLIAM HENRY ON LAKE GEORGE. 

reconnoitring vessels came with the new^s that the French at Cape Breton 
had one more ship than the English, and the plan of campaign was 
changed. Part of the soldiers landed again at Halifax, and the Earl 
of Loudon, leaving his garden to the weeds, and his place of arms to 
briars, sailed for New York. 

The Marquis of Montcalm was a very different man from the Earl 
of Loudon. As a man he was superior to him in every way ; as a 
commander he was active, quick and resolute ; while Loudon was 



294 



THE FRKNCH AND INDIAN WAR. 



incompetent, slow and pompons. Montcalm had stationed himself at 
Ticonderoga, in order to be able to watch the English, and he resolved 
to take advantage of Lord London's absence to attack Fort William 
Henrj', at the head of Lake George. 




WILLIAM PITT. 

In the first place, previous to starting on this enterprise, he made 
his conrt to the Oneidas, the Senecas, and other savage tribes, and 
o-ained them over to his interests. These native warriors crossed the 
waters of Lake Champlain in two hundred canoes with pennons flying, 
and all the pomp of savage warfare. Assembling beneath the battle- 



THE FRENCH AND INDIAN WAR. 295 

ments of Ticonderoga, in the midst of woods and mountains, they sang 
the war-song, danced the war-dance, and listened to the eloquence of 
their orators. On the second of August Montcalm appeared before the 
fort with a force of about six thousand French and Canadians and 
seventeen hundred Indians, and laid siege to it. The garrison consisted 
of about three thousand men, under Colonel Monroe, a gallant officer. 
Montcalm summoned him to surrender the fort, but Monroe returned 
an indignant refusal to this demand, and sent to General Webbe, at Fort 
Edward, fifteen miles distant, to ask for assistance. Webbe might easily 
have saved the fort, as he had four thousand men under his command, 
but he made no effort to do so. 

AN UNFORTUNATE LETTER. 

Colonel Putnam, afterwards famous in the Revolution, eagerly 
sought and at last received permission to march with his regiment to 
Monroe's assistance, but he had proceeded only a few miles when 
Webbe commanded him to return to Fort Edward. In the place of 
assistance, the timid Webbe then sent to Monroe a letter greatly ex- 
aggerating the force of the French and advising him to surrender. This 
letter was intercepted by Montcalm, who was on the point of raising the 
siege, and he forwarded it to Monroe, with a renewed demand for his 
surrender. 

The brave veteran held out, however, until nearl}^ all his guns were 
disabled and his ammunition nearly exhausted. He then hung out a flag 
of truce, and Montcalm, who was too true a hero not to appreciate valor 
in a foe, granted him liberal terms. The garrison were allowed to march 
out with the honors of war upon their giving parole not to serve 
against France for eighteen months. They were to retain their private 
property and were to liberate all their prisoners. On the ninth of August 
the fort was surrendered to the French. 

Montcalm had kept the savages from liquor, in order to be able to 
restrain them in the hour of victory. They now sought and obtained 
rum from the English, and spent the night in dancing and singing. The 




296 



THE FRENCH AND INDIAN WAR. -^'.iT 

next morning, as the English marched out of their camp, the Indians 
fell upon them and began to plunder them. From robhery the excited 
savages soon passed to murder, and manvofthe English were killed and 
others made prisoners. The French officers threw themselves into the 
melee and exerted themselves gallantly to control the Indians. Many 
of them were wounded in these efforts. Montcalm in agony implored 
tlie Indians to respect the treaty. " Kill me," he cried, as he struggled 
to restrain the savages, " but spare the English, who are under my 
protection." He called to the English soldiers to defend themselves. 

The retreat to Fort Edward became a disorderh^ fight. Only about 
six hundred men reached there in a bodv. More than four hundred had 
sought shelter in the French camp, and were sent by Montcalm to their 
friends under the protection of a strong escort. He also sent one of his 
officers to ransom those who had been taken prisoners by the Indians. 
The vast stores accumulated at Fort William Henry were carried away 
by the French, and the work itself demolished. 

FRENCH FORCES TRIUMPHANT. 

The loss of Fort William Henry greatly frightened General Webbe 
at Fort Edward. In spite of his force of six thousand men, and the 
withdrawal of the French to Lake Champlain, he seriously contemplated 
a retreat to beyond Albany. Lord Loudon, who had arrived at New York, 
was equally impressed with the danger, and proposed to take position 
with his army on Long Island, for the defence of the continent. 

The campaign was over, and the French were everywhere triumph- 
ant. With the exception of Acadia, they held all the country they had 
occupied at the beginning of the war. The English had lost the forts 
at Oswego and William Henry, and immense Cjuantities of supplies. 
They had been entirely expelled from the valleys of the Ohio and the 
St. Lawrence, and the hostile parties of the Indians were enabled to ex- 
tend their ravages far into the interior of the colonies. 

America was thoroughly disgusted with the incompetency and 
cowardice of the royal commanders. The old spell of British invincibility 



298 THE FRENCH AND INDIAN WAR. 

was broken, and the colonists were rapidly losing their respect for the 
troops sent over from England to protect them. Men were coming to the 
conclnsion that their connection with Great Britain was simply a curse 
to the colonies. They regarded the conduct of the war thus far by the 
royal ofl&cials as simpl}- "a mixture of ignorance and cowardice," and 
were satisfied that they were amply able to defend themselves against 
the French and Indians without any assistance whatever from England. 

INSOLENT CONDUCT OF ROYAL OFFICIALS. 

The royal officials sought to cover their failures by complaints 
against the Americans. The heart}^ disgust and contempt with which 
the colonists regarded their pusillanimous conduct was reported b}- them 
to the home government as evidence of a mutinous spirit on the part of 
the Americans. Throughout the colonies they pursued one uniform 
sj-stem of seeking to force the provinces into submission to their own 
illegal acts, and to compel them to an acknowledgment of the arbitrary 
power of the crown. 

"Everywhere," savs Bancroft, "the royal officers actively asserted 
the authorit}- of the king and the British nation over America. Did the 
increase of population lead the legislature to enlarge the representative 
body ? The right to do so was denied, and representation was held to be 
a privilege conceded by the king as a boon, and limited by his will. Did 
the British commander believe that the French colonies, through the 
neutral islands, derived provisions from the continent ? B5' his own 
authority he proclaimed an embargo in every American port." 

The gross mismanagement of affairs in America aroused a storm 
of indignation in England, and King George was obliged to yield to 
the popular sentiment and change his ministers. At the head of the 
new ministry he placed William Pitt, the leader of the popular part)', 
who was destined to become one of the greatest of English statesmen. 
His great talents had raised him from the insignificant position of 
ensign in the guards to the leadership of the government of Great 
Britain, and were now to be the means of retrieving the disasters of 



THE FRENCH AND INDIAN WAR. 299 

his country, and regaining for her her lost power and damaged prestige. 
A truly great man, Pitt knew how to admire and S3aupathize with 
merit in others, and was not blinded bj' the glitter of rank, nor ham- 
pered b}' an aristocratic faith in the divinity of roj'alty. He appre- 
ciated and sympathized with the Americans more perfectly than any 
of his predecessors in office, and began his career with the wise deter- 
mination to encourage and develop their patriotism b}' a generous and 
systematic assistance of their efforts. He caused the government of 
Great Britain to assume the expenses of the war, and announced that 
the sums expended by the colonies for the public defence, since the 
commencement of hostilities, would be refunded, and that henceforth 
the British government would provide the funds for the prosecution of 

the war. 

COMPELLED TO FURNISH TROOPS. 

The colonieswereeach required to furnish troops, but Pitt "stipu- 
lated that the colonial troops raised for this purpose should be supplied 
with arms, ammunition, tents and provisions, in the same manner as 
the regular troops and at the king's expense ; so that the only charge 
to the colonies would be that of levying, clothing, and paying the men. 
The governors were also authorized to issue commissions to provincial 
officers, from colonels downwards, and these officers were to hold rank 
in the united army according to their commissions. Had this liberal 
and just sj'stem been adopted at the outset, it would have put a very 
different face upon the affairs of the colonies." These energetic and 
just measures were promptly responded to by the colonies, which placed 
a force of twenty-eight thousand men in the field. To these Pitt added 
twentj'-two thousand British regulars, making a total of fifty thousand 
men, the largest army that had ever been assembled in America, and 
exceeding in number the entire male population of Canada. It was a 
formidable host and much was expected from it. 

The Earl of Loadon was recalled, and instead of a single supreme 
command, three separate expeditions were organized under different 
officers. An expedition against Louisburg was placed under the orders 



;;oo 



THE FREMCH AND INDIAN WAR. 



of Lord Jeffre_v Amherst, an able and upright soldier, assisted b}' Brig- 
adier-Geueral James Wolfe ; who, though oulj' thirty-one years old, 
had spent eighteen years in the ami}-, and had served at Dettingeu, 
Foutenoy and Lafifeldt. He was considered one of the ablest com- 
manders in the English service, and was universalh^ beloved. To 
General Forbes the task of conquering the Ohio valley was assigned; 




MONTCALM. 

and the expedition against Ticonderoga and Crown Point was intrusted 
to General Abercrombie. Pitt bad little faith in Abercronibie, who had 
been Lord Loudon's most trusted lieutenant ; but retained him to please 
Lord Bute, and associated with him, us his second in command, the 
young and gifted Lord George Howe, in the hope that Howe's genius 
would redeem Abercrombie's faults, and lead him to victory. 



THE FRENCH AND INDIAN WAR. 301 

The expedition against Louisburg consisted of a fleet of twenty 
ships of the line and eighteen frigates, nnder Admiral Boscawen, and 
an army of fourteen thousand men, under General Amherst. The fleet 
reached Cabarus Bay on the second of June, 1758. The fortifications of 
Louisburg were somewhat dilapitated, but were held by a garrison of 
thirty-two hundred men, commanded b}' Chevalier Drucour, an officer 
of experience and determination. These frigates were sunk across the 
mouth of the harbor to close it against the English, and within the 
basin lay five ships of the line, one fifty-gun ship and two frigates, 
which took part in the defence of the place. 

UNABLE TO LAND TROOPS. 

The surf was so heavy that Amherst was unable to laud his troops 
until the eighth. The first division was led bv Wolfe, under the cover 
of the fire of the fleet. He forbade a gun to be fired from his command, 
and, upon uearing the shore, leaped into the water, followed by his men, 
and in the face of a sharp resistance, drove the French from their out- 
posts into the town. The place was now regularly invested, and, after 
a bombardment of fifty days, during which the shipping in the harbor 
was destroyed, the town and fortifications were surrendered to the 
English on the twenty-seventh of Jul}-. With Louisburg the French 
gave up the islands of Cape Breton and Prince Edward. Five thousand 
prisoners and an immense quantity of military supplies were secured by 
the English. 

Halifax being already the chief naval station of the English in 
these waters, Louisburg was abandoned. Amherst, Wolfe, and Bos- 
cawen were honored by the English government for their victory. The 
season was too far advanced after the capture of Louisburg to admit of 
the commencement of operations against Quebec, and Amherst was sud- 
denly called away from the coast to take charge of the army on Lake 
George. 

Abercrombie had assembled a force of seven thousand English 
regulars and nine thousand Americans at the head of Lake George. 



302 Till-: FRF.NCH AND INDIAN WAR. 

Among the American troops were Stark and Putnam, afterwards famous 
in tlie war for independence, the former serving as a captain in the New- 
Hampshire regiment, tlie latter as a major of Connecticut troops. 
Abercrombie was commander-in-chief, but the troops had little confidence 
in him. They were devoted to Lord Howe, who was the real leader of 
the expedition. Ou the fifth of Jul}- the army broke up its camp and, 
embarking in ten hundred and thirty-five boats, with the artillery on 
rafts, descended the lake to its lower end, from which they were to 
advance overland upon Fort Carillon, which the French had erected on 
the promontory of Ticonderoga. The next morning Lord Howe pushed 
forward with the advance guard, and encountered a scouting party of 
the French. A sharp conflict ensued. The French were easily driven 
back, but Lord Howe was killed almost at the first fire. His death cast 
a gloom over the army, which promised ill for the success of the under- 
taking. 

Abercrombie continued to advance, and ou the mornin ^of the ninth 
sent Clerk, his chief engineer, to reconnoitre the French position at 
Ticonderoga. Clerk reported that the French works were feeble, and 
imperfectl}' armed. Stark, of New Hampshire, and some of the English 
officers saw that they were both strong and well provided with artiller}-. 
They so reported to Abercrombie, but he accepted the statement of his 
engineer, and, without waiting for his artillery, ordered an assault upou 
the French lines that very day. 

PROTECTED BEHIND BREASTWORKS. 

The Marquis of Aloutcalm was commanding in person at Ticon- 
deroga, and had disposed his small force of thirty-six hundred and fiftv 
men in a line of breastworks thrown up about half a mile beyond the 
fort, and extending across the promontory on which that work stood. 
The death of Lord Howe had deprived the English of their only leader 
capable of contending against this accomplished commander, and the 
incompetency of Abercrombie was to render easy what might have beeu, 
under other circumstauces. a most difficult undertaking. 



THE FRENCH AND INDIAN WAR. 303 

Abercrombie could have brought up his artillery by the uext day, 
but he was uuwilling to wait for it, as he anticipated au easy victory. 
He stationed himself in a place of safety about two miles from the field, 
and ordered his troops to assail the French intrenchments with the 
bayonet. The attack was made in gallant style, and was continued 
with energy during the afternoon. The English performed prodigies of 
valor, but were not able to overcome the strength of the French works, 
or the activity with which the defenders maintained their position. 
Unlike the English commander, Montcalm was everywhere along his 
line, cheering his men with his presence and example, and distributing 
refreshments to them with his own hand. 

BROKE AND FELL BACK IN DISORDER. 

Without a commander who dared place himself under fire, with no 
one on the spot to direct their movements, the valor of the English was 
thrown away. A volley from an advanced party of their own men com- 
pleted their confusion, and they broke helplessly and fell back in disorder 
towards Lake George. Abercrombie made no eff"ort to rally them ; he 
was too badly frightened for that ; and led the army towards the landing- 
place, on Lake George, with such haste that but for the energetic action 
of Colonel Bradstreet the troops would have rushed pell mell into the 
boats, without any semblance of order, and with a still greater loss of life. 

The English lost nearly two thousand men in the attack upon the 
French works, but they still had left a force of more than four times the 
strength of the French, and their artillery had not been engaged. With 
this force they might have taken Ticonderoga, but Abercrombie was too 
much terrified to attempt anything of the kind. On the morning of the 
ninth he embarked his troops and hastened to the head of Lake George. 
Montcalm was astounded at his retreat, but as he had too small a force, 
and his men were exhausted, he made no effort at pursuit. 

Arrived at the head of Lake George, the frightened Abercrombie 
sent the artillery and ammunition back to Albany for safety, and occu- 
pied his army with the erection of Fort George, near the ruins of Fort 



<?04 THE FRENCH AND INDIAN WAR. 

William Ilumy. The news of tliis disaster caused Geueral Amherst 
lo hasten with four regimeuts and a battaliou from Louisbiirg to Lakej 
George. He reached the camp of Abercrombie on the fifth of October. 
In November, orders arrived from England appointing Amherst com- 
mander-in-chief of the roval forces in America, and recalling Abercrom- 
bie, who- returned to England to attempt to excuse his cowardice by 
villifying America and the Americans. He could not deceive Pitt, 
however, whose indignation at his pusillanimous conduct was only 
restrained b}^ the influence of Lord Bute in the royal councils. 

FLED AND DESERTED THE FORT. 

After Abercrombie's retreat. Colonel Bradstreet, of New York, at 
his earnest solicitation, obtained leave from tlie council of war to itnder- 
take an expedition against Fort Frontenac, which, being situated at the 
foot of Lake Ontario, commanded both the lake and the St. Lawrence. 
Its possession was of the hip-hest importance to the French, as it was! 
their main depot for the supplj'- of the posts on the upper lakes and the' 
Ohio with military stores. Collecting a force of twenty-seven hundred 
men, all Americans, consisting chiefly of troops from New York and' 
Massachusetts, Bradstreet hastened to Oswego before his movements 
were knoAvn to the enemy. From Oswego he crossed the lake in open 
boats, and landed on the Canada side within a mile of Fort Frontenac. 

His sudden arrival struck terror to the garrison, and the greater 
part secured their safety by an instantaneous flight. The next day the 
fort surrendered. The victors captured wdth it a vast qnantit}- of mili- 
tarv stores, destined for the forts in the interior, and a fleet of nine 
armed vessels, with which the French controlled the lake. Two of the 
vessels were laden with a part of the stores and sent to Oswego, and the 
remainder of the vessels and stores, together with the fort, were 
destro3'ed. The English then recrossed the lake to Oswego. The capture 
of Fort Frontenac was an event of great importance, as it led, as we shall 
see further on, to the abandonment b\- the French of their posts in the 
valley of the Ohio. 



THE FRENCli ANIJ INDIAN WAR. 305 

For the reduction of Fort Diiquesne a force of seven thousand 
men was assembled under General Forbes. Of these, five thousand 
were from Pennsylvania and Virginia, the troops from the latter colony 
being under the command of Colonel Washington. The Pennsylvania 
troops assembled at Raystown, on the Juniata, and the Virginians at 
Fort Cumberland. Washington urged upon Forbes the advantages of 
adopting the old road cut by Braddock's army in his advance to the 
Ohio, but Forbes, at the suggestion of some land speculators, decided 
to construct a new and better road further to the north. As regarded 
the future settlement of the west this was an excellent plan, 
but as far it concerned the immediate object of the campaign it 
was a mistake, as it involved a large expenditure of labor and a 
great waste of time. 

EXPEDITION AGAINST FORT DUQUESNE. 

While this road was being constructed General Bouqiiet, with the 
advance guard, crossed Laurel Hill and established a post at Loyal 
Hanna. The new road progressed ver\' slowly, only forty-five miles 
being constructed in six weeks. Bouquet had with him a force of about 
two thousand men, chiefly Highlanders and Virginians. Learning from 
his scouts that Fort Duquesne was held by a garrison of only eight 
hundred men, of whom three liundred were Indians, Bouquet, without 
orders from General Forbes, resolved to attempt the capture of the fort 
by a sudden blow. 

He detached a force of eight hundred Highlanders and a company 
of Virginians, under Major Grant, to reconnoitre Fort Duquesne. The 
French were fullj' inforuied of all of Grant's movements, but they 
allowed him to approach unmolested, intending to disarm his vigilance 
and then attack him. Grant affected the usual contempt for the provin- 
cial troops, and, upon arriving before the fort, placed Major Lewis with 
the Virginians to guard the baggage, and sent his regulars forward to 
reconnoitre and make a sketch of the work. He was greatly encouraged 
by the fact that the French allowed him to approach without firing a 

20 



;;(„; 1111-. l'Ri:.\ill AND INDIAN WAR. 

a "un al him, and in his self-complacency marched right into an 
ambnscadL- which ihc enemy had prepared for him. 

The French commander had posted the Indians along the sides of 
t'.ie defile by which Grant was advancing, and at a given signal the 
garrison made a sudden sally from the fort against the Highlanders, 
while the Indians opened a heavy fire upon th-m from their place ot 
concealment. The regulars were quickly thrown into confusion, and 
their officers were found incapable of conducting such a mode of wariarc. 

Attracted by the firing, Major Lewis, with a company of Virgin- 
ians, hastened to the scene of the encounter, and by engaging the enemy 
hand-to-hand enabled the regulars to save themselves from a general 
massacre. The detachment was routed with heavy loss, and both Grant 
and Lewis were taken prisoners. The fugitives retreated to the point 
where the baggage had been left. It was guarded by Captain Bullit, 
wdiora Lewis had left there with one company of Virginians. 

WERE DRIVEN BACK IN CONFUSION. 

By the gallant and skilful resistance of this little force the French 
and Indians were checked, and finally driven back in confusion. The 
English then continued their retreat with all speed to Loyal Hauna. 
Again the provincials had saved the regulars from total destruction. 
General Forbes had the magnanimity to acknowledge and compliment 
the Virginians for their services,and Captain Bullit was promoted to the 

rank of major. 

General Forbes w^as greatly disheartened by the news of Grant's dis- 
aster. A council of war was called to deliberate upon the future opera- 
tions of the army, and decided that as it was November, and they were still 
fifty miles from Fort Duquesne, with an unbroken forest between them 
and the Ibrt, nothing more could be accomplished until the spring. The 
enterprise was on the point of being abandoned when fortunately three 
prisoners were brought in, from whom Washington drew the information 
that the garrison of Fort Duquesne was reduced to a very small force, that 
the Indrans had all deserted the French, and that the expected reinforce- 



THE FRENCH AND INDIAN WAR. 



30: 



ments aud supplies from Canada had not an-i^•ed. It was evident that 
a well-executed effort would result iu the capture of the fort. 

This information decided General Forbes to continue the expedition 
I A force oftwenty-five hundred picked troops was placed under Wash- 
' mgton's command, and he was ordered to push forward as rapidly as 
, possible, and prepare the road for the advance of the main army 
I Washington was ably seconded in his movements by the energetic Arm- 
I strong, and the march was pressed with such vigor that in ten days the 
army arrived in the vicinity of Fort Duquesne. 

j The French now saw that the fall of the fort was inevitable. They 

had but five hundred men, and Bradstreet's capture of Fort Frontenac 
had cut them off from the reinforcements and supplies they had expected 
from Canada. Unwilling to stand a siege, the result of which was 
I certain, they abandoned the fort on the night of the twenty-fourth of 
November, and embarking in flat boats floated down the Ohio to join 
their countrymen in the valley of the Mississippi. 

WASHINGTON FLUNG OUT THE FLAG. 

On the morning of the twenty-fifth, Washington, with his gallant 

band, entered the fort and planted the British flag on the ramparts just 
abandoned by the French. 

At the universal desire of the army, Forbes named the place Fort 
Pitt, which has since been changed to Pittsburg. The splendid city 
«'hich occupies the site is the proudest monument that has been built to 
±e memory of the "Great Commoner." 

Two regiments, composed of Penusylvanians, Virginians and Mary- 
anders, under Mercer, were left to garrison Fort Pitt, which was restored 
o Its former strength. General Forbes then returned east of the moun- 
ains, and Washington resigned his commission and retired to private 
ife. The object of the campaign was accomplished, and he could now 
njoy the rest to which five years of constant service had entitled him 
The capture of Fort Duquesne was the most important event of the 
^ar. It put an end to the French occupation of the valley of the Ohio 



30S THI': FRENCH AND INDIAN WAR. 

and settled the claim of Great Britain to that valuable region. The 
Indians, having no longer the support and encouragement which they 
had derived from the French at this post, ceased their hostile efforts, and 
during the remainder of the war the frontiers of Virginia and Penn- 
S3'lvania were at peace. The capture of the fort was followed by a large 
emigration west of the mountains, which, beginning the next spring 
soon placed a large and energetic population of Englishmen and their 
families in the valley of the Ohio. The Indians, disheartened by the 
defeat of the French, began to form treaties of peace or neutrality with the 
English. 

Washington's services in this campaign were acknowledged with! 
pride throughout the colonies, but the British government took no 
notice of them. Not even Pitt, with all his appreciation of America, 
thought it worth while to offer him any promotion or reward, as had 
been done in the case of other meritorious provincial commanders. 
Soon after his withdrawal from the army he took his seat in the house 
of burgesses, to which he had been elected. 

PUBLIC THANKS FOR WASHINGTON. 

That body ordered its speaker to publicly thank Colonel Washing 
ton in the name of the house and of the people of Virginia for hi.' 
services to his countr3^ The speaker discharged this duty with east 
and dignity, but when Washington attempted to reply he blushed am 
stammered and was unable to speak a word. The speaker relieved hi; 
confusion by coming to his assistance with the kind remark :" Sit down 
Mr. Washington ; your modest}^ equals your valor, and that surpasse 
the power of any language I possess." 

The English cause was now more successful than it had ever beei 
and Canada was exhausted b}- the efforts she had put forth for he 
defence. This was clear to Montcalm, who had no hope of lioldin; 
New France against the attacks of Great Britain, and it was also clea 
to the far-seeing mind of Pitt. The British Minister, therefore, resolve 
that the next campaign sliould be decisive of the war. He prompt! 



THE FRENCH AND INDIAN WAR. 309 

;imbursed the colonies for the expenses incurred by them during the 
ist year, and found no difficulty iu enlisting them heartily in his 
;hemes. 

Three expeditions were ordered for the year 1759. Amherst was 
I advance by way of Lake Champlain, and after capturing Ticonderoga 
id Crown Point, was to lay siege to Montreal ; Wolfe was to ascend 
le St. Lawrence and attack Quebec, and was to be joined by Amherst 
the latter should be successful in his efforts against Montreal ; and 
eneral Prideaux was to proceed by way of Oswego to capture Fort 
iagara, and then descend Lake Ontario and join Amherst at Montreal. 

Amherst moved promptly against Ticonderoga, which post was 
aandoned b}' the French upon his approach. Crown Point fell into 
is hands in the same manner, but here the advance of the English was 
:ayed. No boats had been provided to transport the armj^ down Lake 
hamplain, and Amherst was forced to halt until these could be 
rocured. He was thus able to invest Montreal, or to co-operate with 
7olfe in the movement against Quebec. 

KILLED BY THE BURSTING OF A GUN. 

General Prideaux began his march to Oswego about the same time, 
lid proceeding from Oswego, laid siege to Fort Niagara. He was killed 
y llie bursting of a gun soon after the commencement of the siege, and 
le command devolved upon Sir William Johnson, who pressed the 
ttack with vigor. On the twenty-third of July, 175S, the fort capitu- 
ited ; but Johnson was obliged to abandon the attempt to descend the 
t. Lawrence to Wolfe's assistance from a lack of boats and provisions. 

The expedition against Quebec assembled in June, 1758, at Louis- 
urg, under the command of General Wolfe. It consisted of eight 
lousaud troops and a fleet of twenty-two ships of the line, besides 
rigates and some smaller vessels. On the twenty-sixth of June the 
sle of Orleans was reached, and the troops were immediately landed. 
L short distance up the river Quebec rose defiantly, its seemingly 
upregnable citadel of St. Louis crowning the lofty hills that rose from 



310 



THE FRENCH AND INDIAN WAR. 



the river's brink. For the defence of tlir \^]■ac^■ Montcalm had six greatly re- 
duced battalions 
of regulars and 
a force of Cana- 
dian militia. 
A few Indians 
remained faith- 
ful to him ; but 
the majority of 
the tribes,doubt- 
ful of the issue 
of the contest, 
preferred to re- . 
main n e n t r a 1. 
The F r e u c h 
commander, see- 
ing the inferior- 
ity of his force 
to tliat of the 
luiglish, put hi.' 
irust chiefly in | 
t h c n- a t u r a 1 
strength of hi> 
position, which j 
he believed 
would enable 
him to hold i'. 
even with his 
small force. 
The situation 
xi.\r,.\R.\ F.\l LS. of Quebec was 

peculiar. It lay on a peninsula, between tlic river St. Charles op 
the north and the Si. Lawrence on tlie south and ea-^l. On these 




THE FRP:NCH and INDIAN WAR. 



:]11 



sides it was perfectly protected b}' the river, leaving the west side alone 
exposed. The lower town was sitnated on the beach', while the npper 
stood on the cliffs two hnndred feet above the water, and above this 
still rose the castle of St. Lonis. Above the city the high promontory 

on which the npper 
town was built stretched 
awav for several miles in 
an elevated plain, and 
from the river to this 
plain the rocks rose 
almost perpendicularly. 

Every landing-place 
was carefully guarded, 
and the whole range of 
cliffs seemed bristling 
with cannon. The 
French commander did 
not believe it possible 
for an army to scale 
tliese cliffs. Montcalm 
located his camp below 
the city, between the St. 
Charles and the Mont- 
GENERAL jAMi;s WOLFE. morenci rivers, and 

covered the river front of his position with many floating batteries 
and ships of war, which presented a formidable appearance. 

The naval superiority of the English at once gave them the command 
of the river. Tlie French were driven from Port Levi, opposite the city, 
and upon it Wolfe erected batteries, from which he bombarded the lower 
town and soon laid it in ashes. The npper town and the citadel were 
beyond the range of his gnns, and could not be injured by this fire. 

Wolfe now decided to storm the French camp on the opposite side 
pf the St. Lawrence, and in the month of July attacked them from the 




312 THE FRKNCH AND INDIAN WAR. 

airection of the IMontmoreuci, but owing to the haste of the first division, 
which advanced to the assault before it could be properly supported by 
the second, the attack was repulsed with a loss of five huudred men. 
This repulse greatly disheartened the English commander, whose 
sensitive spirit suffered keenly under the dread that his enterprise was 
doomed to failure. He obtained news of the capture of Fort Niagara 
and the occupation of Ticonderoga and Crown Point, and eagerlj' watched 
for the approach of the promised assistance from Amherst. 

EXPEDITION IN GREAT JEOPARDY. 

It never came, and Wolfe saw that he must take Quebec by his own 
efforts or not at all. He attempted several diversions above the cit}' in 
the hope of drawing Montcalm from his intrenchments into the open 
field, but the latter merely sent De Bougainville with fifteen hundred 
men to watch the shore above Quebec and prevent a lauding. Wolfe fell 
into a fever, caused by his anxiety, and his despatches to his govern- 
iient created the gravest uneasiness in England for the success of his 
enterprise. 

Though ill, Wolfe examined the river with eagle eye's to detect some 
place at which a lauding could be attempted. His energy was rewarded 
by his discovery of the cove which now bears his name. From the shore 
at the head of this cove, a steep aud difficult pathway, along which two 
men could scarcely march abreast, wound up to the summit of the 
heights aud was guarded b}- a small force of Canadians. Wolfe at once 
resolved to eff"ect a landing hei"e and ascend the heights b}- this path. 
The greatest secrecy was necessar}^ to the success of the undertaking, 
and in order to deceive the French as to his real design, Captain Cook, 
afterwards famous as a great navigator, was sent to take soundings and 
place buo3^s opposite Montcalm's camp, as if that were to be the real 
point of attack. The morning of the thirteenth of September was chosen 
for the movement, aud the day and night of the twelfth were spent in 
preparations for it. 

At one o'clock on the morning of the thirteenth a force of about 



THE FRENCH AND INDIAN WAR. 313 

five thousand men under Wolfe, with Monckton and Murray, 
set off in boats from the fleet, which had ascended the river several 
days before, and dropped down to the point designated for the landing. 
Each officer was thoroughly informed of the duties required of him, and 
each shared the resolution of the gallant young commander, to conquer 
or die. As the boats floated down the stream, in the clear, cool starlight, 
\\'oire spoke to his officers of the poet Gray, and of his "Elegy in a 
Countr)- Churchyard." "I would prefer," said he, "being the author of 
that poem to the glory of beating the French to-morrow." Then in a 
musing voice he repeated the lines : 

" The boast of heraldr)-, the pomp of power, 

And all that beauty, all that wealth e'er gave, 

Await alike the inevitable hour ; 

The paths of glor\' lead but to the grave." 

THEY SCALE THE HEIGHTS. 

In a short while the landing-place was reached, and the fleet, follow- 
ing silently, took position to cover the landing, if necessary. Wolfe and 
liis immediate command leaped ashore and secured the pathway. The 
light infantry, who were carried b}- the tide a little below the path, 
clambered up the side of the heights, sustaining themselves by clinging 
to the roots and shrubs which lined the precipitous face of the hill. 
The}' reached the summit and drove off the picket-guard after a slight 
skirmish. The rest of the troops ascended in safety by the pathway, 
and a battery of two guns was abandoned on the left to Colonel Howe. 
Having gained the heights, Wolfe moved forward rapidh' to clear the 
forest, and by daybreak his army was drawn up on the Heights of Abra- 
ham, in the rear of the city. 

Montcalm was speedil}- informed of the presence of the English. 
" It can be but a small party come to burn a few houses and retire," he 
answered incredulously. A brief examination satisfied him of his 
danger, and he exclaimed in amazement : " Then they have at last got 
to the weak side of this miserable garrison. We must give battle and 



;^ll THK FRKNCll AND INDIAN WAfvi. 

crush them before mid-day." He at once dispatched a messens>;er for De 
Bougainville, who was fifteen miles up the river, and marched from his 
camp opposite the city to the Heights of Abraham, to drive the English 
from them. Tlie opposing forces were about equal in numbers, though 
the English trot)ps were superior to their adversaries in steadiness and 
determination. 

The battle began about ten o'clock and was stubbornly contested 
II was at length decided, in favor of the English. Wolfe, tliough 
wounded several times, continued to direct his army until, as he was 
leading them to the final charge, he received a musket ball in the breast. 
He tottered and called to an officer near him : "Support me ; let not my 
br.ive fellows see me drop." He w^as borne tenderly to the rear, and 
watc: was brought him to quench his thirst. 

NO^A^, GOD BE PRAISED. I DIE HAPPY. 

At this nu)nient the officer upon wlunn he was leaning cried out; 
"They run ! thev run !" "Who run?" asked the d3'ing hero eagerlj'. 
"The French," said the officer, "give waj' everywhere." " \\'hat?" said 
Wolfe, summoning up his remaining strength, '' do they run already ? 
Go, one of you, to Colonel Burton ; bid him march Webb's regiment with 
all speed to Charles River to cut off" the fugitives." Then, a smile of con- 
tentment overspreading his pale features, he murmured : " Now, God 
be praised, I die happ3%'" and expired. He had done his Mhole duty, 
and with his lite had purchased an empire fin- his couutrv. 

Monckton, the second in rank, having been wounded, the command 
devolved upon General Townshend, a brave officer, but incapable of fol- 
lowing up such a success with vigor. He recalled the troops from the pur- 
suit and contented himself with the possession of the battlefield. At this 
moment De Bougainville arrived with his division, but Townshend de- 
clined to renew the engagement. 

Montcalm had borne himself heroically during the battle, and had 
done all that a brave and skillful commander could do to win the victor}'. 
As he was endeavoring to rally his troops at their final repulse, he was 



THE FRENCH AND INDIAN WAR. 



315 



wounded for the second time, and was carried into the city. The surgeon 
informed him that his wound was mortal. "So much the better," he 
answered cheerfully ; "I shall not live to see the surrender of Quebec." 
De Ramsey, the commandant of the post asked his advice about the 
defence of the city. " To your keeping," answered Montcalm, "I com- 




DEATH OF GENERAL WOLFE BEFORE QUEBEC, 
mend the honor of France. I will neither give orders nor interfere any 
further. I have business of greater moment to attend to. My time is short. 
I shall pass the night with God, and prepare myself for death." 

He then wrote a letter to the English commander, commending the 
French prisoners to his generosity, and at five o'clock on the morning of 
the fourteenth his spirit passed away. Succeeding generations have 
paid his memory' the honor it deserves, and on the spot where the fate 
of Quebec was decided the people of Canada have erected, to conimem- 



MO 



TIIK 1-RI':Nl'II and INDIAN WAR. 



oraU- the luToisin of llu' conqueror and the conquered, a noble niouu- 
nicul inscribed uilli ihc names of W'oi.l-'K and MoNTCALAl. 




KING GEORGE III. 

The French lost five hundred killed aud one thousand prisoners, 
while the loss of the English was six hundred in killed and wounded. 
l"'ive days afterward, on the eighteenth of September, the city aud gar- 
rison of Quebec surrendered to General Townshcud. The capture of this 
great stronghold was hailed with rejoicings in both America and Eng- 
land. Congratulations were showered upon Pitt, who modestly put 



THE FRENCH AND INlJlAN' WAR. :'.17 

them aside with the reverent remark : " I will aim to serve my country ; 
hut the more a man is versed in l)iisiness, the more he finds the hand of 
Providence everywhere." 

In April, 1760, De Levi, the French commander at Montreal, 
attacked Quebec with a force of ten thousand men, hoping to reduce it 
before the arrival of reinforcements from England. Murray, the English 
commander, marched out with three thousand men to attack him, and in 
a severe battle, on the twenty-sixth of April, was defeated and driven 
back to the city with a loss of one thousand men. The French then laid 
siege to Quebec, but on the ninth of May an English fleet arrived to its 
relief, and De Levi was obliged to withdraw to Montreal. 

SURRENDER OP" MONTREAL. 

In September, Montreal itself was invested b}' a powerful foi'ce 
under General Amherst. Seeing that there was no hope of resi.stance, 
the French commander surrendered the town on the eighth of Septem- 
ber, 1760. With this capture Canada passed entirely into the hands of 
the English. Detroit and the other posts on the lakes were soon given 
up by the French, and the dominion of France in America was confined 
to the valley of the Mississippi. There were no further hostilities 
between the English and French. 

The French and Indian war was closed by the treaty of Paris, on 
the tenth of February, 1763. By this treaty Great Britain obtained all 
the French territory east of the Mississippi, with the exception of the 
island of New Orleans, the northern boundary of which was the rivers 
Iberville and Amite, and Lakes Manrepas and Pontchartrain. I'lorida 
was ceded to England by Spain in exchange for Havana. France ceded 
to Spain the island of New Orleans and all Louisiana west of the 
Mississippi. Thus Great Britain was mistress of the whole of the vast 
region east of the Mississippi, with the exception of the island of New 
Orleans, from the Arctic Ocean to the Gulf of Mexico. The region west 
of the Mississippi was claimed by Spain. In all the vast continent of 
America France retained not one foot of ground. 



;U8 nil' I'kl'.NcH AND INDIAN WAR. 

In the meantime the Iiuliaius of the southwest luul become involved 
in war with the whites. Tlie Cherokees. who liad always been friendly 
to the English, had done j^ood service durinj;- the earh' part of the war 
b)^ protecting the frontiers of Virginia, ami had served also in Forbes' 
expedition against Fort Duqnesne. They received for their services no 
rewartl or pay from an\- sonrce, and as they were setting ont for their 
homes neither General Forbes nor the colonial authorities supplied them 
with either food or money. To avoid starvation on their march, the)' 
were compelled to plunder the barns of some of the settlers, and this led 
to a conflict which rapidly spread into a border war. 

CHEROKEES PROVOKED TO WAR. 

Littleton, the governor of South Carolina, exertedhimself to prevent 
the restoration of peace, and with success, as he desired the credit of 
exterminating the Cherokees. He was opposed by the legislature and 
people of the colony, but in 1750 he sent a force into their country, 
which committed such ravages that the Cherokees, driven to despair, 
resolved upon a war of extermination. They made a league with the 
IMuscogees, and sent to the French in Louisiana for military stores. The 
Carolinians asked aid of General Amherst, who sent them a force of 
twelve hundred men, principall)' Highlanders, under General Mont- 
gomery. 

Reinforced by a body of Carolinians, Montgomery invaded the 
Cherokee country in 1760, and laid it waste. This tribe had made great 
advances in civilization, and had settled in villages, and engaged in the 
cultivation of their lands. Their liomes were made desolate, and they 
were driven to the mountains. Montgomery then rejoined Amherst, in 
the north, in obedience to orders ; but the Indians for many years main- 
tained a desultory warfare along the siuithwestern border. 

The surrender of Canada to the English was viewed with the 
greatest disfavor by the Indians of the north and west, who were attached 
to the French, and were unwilling to submit to the rule of the English. 
Immediatel}' after the surrender the English occupied all the French 



THE FRKNCII AND INDIAN WAR. :'!19 

posts along the lakes, and in the Ohio valley, with small garrisons. The 
contrast between these and the French, who had formerly held these 
forts, soon impressed itself forcibl}^ upon the minds of the savages. The 
French had been friendly and kind to the Indians, and had sought to 
convert them to Christianity ; the English were haughty and domineer- 
ing, and insulted their priests, and denounced their religion, 

FATE OF THE RED MEN. 

The French had prohibited the sale of rum to the Indians ; the 
English introduced it, and finding it profitable continued it, with a reck- 
lessness of consequences which did not escape the keen observation of 
the savages. The demoralization of the red man was rapid, and drunk- 
enness and its attendant vices wrought sad changes in them. The tribes 
were bitterly hostile to the men who were ruining their people, and all 
were alarmed l)y the rapidity wnth which emigration had been pouring 
over the mountains since the capture of Fort Duquesne. They saw that 
they were about to be driven from their homes, and forced westward, 
before the advancing tide of the whites. 

The most determined opponent of the English rule was Pontiac, a 
chief of the Ottawas. He was a Catawba by birth, had been brought 
from his native country as a prisoner, and had been adopted into the 
Ottawa tribe, whose chief he had become by his bravery and skill. He was 
the idol of his own people, and his influence over the neighboring tribes 
was boundless. He was styled " the king and lord of all the country of 
the northwest," and bitterly resented the English occupation of liis 
dominions. The first English officer who came to take possession of the 
French forts was received by him with the stern demand, " How dare 
you come to visit my country without my leave ? " 

This " forest hero " now resolved to unite all the tribes of the north- 
west in a last determined effort to drive out the English, and regain the 
independence of the red man. The plan of operations which he adopted 
was most comprehensive, and was the most remarkable exhibition of 
genuine leadership ever given by an Indian. He began negotiations 



320 Till'. FRKNCH AND INDIAN WAR. 

with the neighboring tribes, and induced the Delawares, Shawnees, the 
Senecas, Miaiuis, and many of tlie smaller tribes, occupying the great 
region of the upper lakes, the valley of the Ohio, and a portion of the 
Mississippi valle}', to join his people in their effort against the English. 
He sent a prophet to all the tribes to declare to them that the Great 
Spirit had revealed to him "that if the English were permitted to dwell 
in their midst, then the white man's diseases and poisons would utterly 
destroy them." The conspiracy was pressed forward with energy, ami 
though it was more than a year in forming, it was kept a profound 
secret and was undiscovered. 

PLOT TO SEIZE THE FORT AND MASSACRE THE GARRISON. 

The principal post on the upper lakes was Detroit. It was sur- 
rounded b}'' a numerous French population engaged in agriculture and 
trading. It was the centre of the trade of this region, audits possession 
was of the highest importance to the English. Pontiac was anxioiis to 
obtain possession of this fort and sent word to Major Gladwin, the com- 
mandant, that he was coming on a certain day, with his warriors, to 
liave a talk with him. The chief was resolved to make this visit the 
occasion of seizing the fort and massacring the garrison, and he and his 
warriors selected for the attempt cut down their rifles to a length which 
enabled them to conceal them under their blankets, in order to enter the 
fort with their arms. 

The plot was revealed to Gladwin b\- an Indian girl, whose aff"ections 
had been won by one of the English officers, and when Pontiac and his 
warriors repaired to the fort for their "talk" Gladwin made him aware 
that his conspirac}' was discovered, and ver}^ unwisely permitted him to 
leave the fort in safety. Pontiac now threw off the mask of friendship 
and boldly attacked Detroit. 

This was a signal for a general war. In about three weeks time the 
savages surprised and captured every fort west of Niagara, with the 
exception of Detroit and Pittsburg. The garrisons were, with a few 
exceptions, put to death. Over one hundred traders were killed and 




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321 



322 THE FRENCH AND INDIAN WAR. 

scalped in the woods, and more than five hundred families were driven, 
with the loss of many of their numbers, from their settlements on the 
frontier. 

Pontiac endeavored, without success, to capture Detroit, and u large 
force of the warriors of several of the tribes laid siege to Pittsburg, the 
most important post in the valley of the Ohio. The ravages of the 
Indians were extended over the wide territory between the Ohio and the 
Mississippi, and the settlements in that region were for the time com- 
pletely broken up. 

General Bouquet, with a force of five hundred men, consisting 
chiefly of Scotch Highlanders, was sent from eastern Pennsylvania to the 
relief of Fort Ligonier, which was located at the western base of the 
mountains, near Pittsburg. Their march lay through a region which 
had been desolated b}^ the Indians, and they were obliged to depend upon 
the stores they carried with them. Upon reaching Fort Ligonier, Bou- 
quet found the communication with Pittsburg cut off, and could learn 
nothing of the fate of the fort or garrison. 

VICTORY FOR THE HIGHLANDERS. 

Leaving his cattle and wagons at Ligonier, he pushed forward with 
his men in light marching order, determined to ascertain if Pittsburg 
still held out. He had to fight his way through the Indians, who turned 
aside from the siege of the fort and ambushed the Highlanders at nearly 
every step. They were overwhelmingly defeated by the gallant High- 
landers, for Bouquet was now a veteran Indian fighter, and had learned 
to fight the savages with their own tactics. Their rout was complete, 
and Bouquet reached Pittsburg in safety, to the great joy of the 
garrison. 

Bouquet's victory was decisive. The Indians were utterly dis- 
heartened and fled westward ; and from that day the Ohio valley was 
freed from their violence. The tide of emigration once more began to 
flow over the mountains, and this time it was to know no cessation. The 
tribes concerned in Pontiac's conspiracy lost hope, and were overawed by 



THE FRENCH AND INOIAN WAR. 323 

the preparations of the English for their destruction, and began to with- 
di^aw from the confederacy and make peace with the whites. 

Pontiac soon found himself deserted by all his followers, even by 
his own people ; but his proud spirit would not brook the thought of 
submission. He would make no treat}^ ; he was the mortal foe of the 
English, and would never acknowledge their rule. Leaving his home 
and his people, he set out for the country of the Illinois, for the purpose 
of stirring up the more distant tribes to war. A proclamation from 
Lord Amherst offered a reward for his murder, and he soon fell, the vic- 
tim of the hired assassin. 

The long war was over. It had brought both loss and gain to the 
colonies. It had involved them in an expenditure of sixteen million 
dollars, of which sum but five million dollars had been refunded by the 
English governmeut. Thus the debts of the colonies were greatly in- 
creased. Thirty thousand men had been killed, or had died from wounds 
or disease during the war, and the sufferings of the settlers along the 
extended and exposed frontiers had been almost incalculable. 

FORTUNES MADE FROM WAR. 

On the other hand, the war had greatly increased the business of 
the colonies, especially in those of the north. Large sums had been 
spent in America by Great Britain for the support of her armies and 
fleets, and many fortunes were built up by enterprising men during this 
period. Above all the Americans had been taught their own strength, 
and the value of united action. They had often proved their superiority 
to the regular troops of the English army, aud had learned valuable 
lessons in the art of war. In the long struggle Washington, Gates, 
Morgan, Montgomery, Stark, Putnam and others were trained for the 
great work which was to be required of them in future years. 

The colonies were bound together by a common grievance, arising 
out of the haughty contempt with which the royal commanders treated 
the provincial troops, and sacrificed their interests to those of the 
regulars. The lesson that the colonies could do without the assistance 



324 THE FRENCH AND INDIAN WAR. 

of Eugland, aud that their true interests demanded a separation from 
her, was deeply implanted in the minds of many of the leading men. 

Another gain for the colonies was a positive increase in their liberties 
resulting from the war. The necessity of .securing the cordial co-opera- 
tion of the Americans during the struggle caused the royal governors 
to cease their efforts to enforce arbitrarj^ laws, during the existence of 
hostilities, as the enforcement of such measures would have alienated 
the colonists, and have prevented them from raising the needed supplies 
of men and money. The colonial assemblies were careful to take ad- 
vantage of this state of affairs. The}^ made their grants of supplies with 
great caution, and retained in their own hands all the disbursements of 
the public funds. They thus accustomed the people to the practices of 
free government, and taught them their rights in the matter, so that 
when the war closed the royal governors found that they were no longer 
able to practice their accustomed tyranny. 



THE 

AMERICAN REVOLUTION: 

WHICH MADE OUR COUNTRY FREE AND 
INDEPENDENT. 

GREAT BRITAIN imposed heavy taxes upon the American colo- 
nies and the colonies strenuously denied the right of the mother 
country to tax them without granting them some form of repre- 
sentation in her government. They claimed the right to have a voice 
in the disposal of their property, and they regarded the design of Parli- 
ament as but a new proof of the indisposition of the mother country to 
treat them with justice. 

In order to enforce the various restrictions upon the trade of the 
colonies, Great Britain established in America a large force of custom 
officers, who were given unlawful powers for this purpose. Parliament 
enacted that any sheriff or officer of the customs, who suspected that 
merchandise imported into the colony in which he was stationed had 
not paid the duty required by law, might apply to the colonial courts 
for a search warrant, or "writ of assistance," and enter a store or 
private dwelling and search for the goods he suspected of being unlaw- 
fully imported. 

These writs were first used in Massachusetts in 1761, and aroused 

a storm of indignation from the people, who felt that their most sacred 

rights were being violated by them. They were resisted, and the case 

was carried before the courts in order to test their validity. James Otis, 

the attorney for the crown, resigned his office rather than argue in 

behalf of them, and with great eloquence pleaded the cause of the 

325 



?v2(i THE AMERICAN RICVOLUTION. 

pcopic. His speech created a profoiiud inipressiou throughout the 
colouies, and aroused a determiuation in the hearts of his felloAv- 
citizeus to oppose the other enactments of Parliament which they felt 
to be unjust, This trial was fatal to the writs, which were scared}' 
ever used afterwards. "Then and there," sa3's John Adams, "was the 
first opposition to arbitrary acts of Great Britain. Then and there 
American Independence was born." 

The spirit of opposition soon manifested itself in the New England 
colonies. The manufactures, trades and fisheries of that section were 
almost ruined, and the people had no choice but to defend themselves. 
Associations were formed in all the colonies pledging themselves not 
to purchase of English manufacturers anything but the absolute 
necessities of life. Families began to make their own linen and woolen 
cloths, and to preserve sheep for tlieir wool. Homespun garments 
became the dress of the patriot parlv, and foreign cloths were almost 
driven out of use. It was i-esolved to encourage home manufactures in 
every possible way and associations were formed for this purpose. 
These measures became ver}' popular, and were adopted by the other 
colonies in rapid succession. 

THE HEROIC PATRIOT, SAMUEL ADAMS. 

Among the advocates of resistance to British oppression was 
Samuel Adams, of Boston, a man in wlioni the loftiest virtues of the 
old Puritans were mingled with the graces of more modern times. Modest 
and unassuming- in manner, a man of incorruptible integrit}^ and 
sincere piet}^ he was insensible to fear in the discharge of his duty. 

Under his guidance the people of Boston met and protested against 
the new plan of taxation, and instructed their representatives in the 
general court to oppose it. 

But England persisted in levj'ing heavy taxes, and in March, 1765, 
the measure known as the "Stamp Act" passed the House of Commons 
by a vote of five to one, and was adopted almost nnaninunislv by the 
House of Lords. This Act imposed a duty on all paper, vellum and 
parchment used in the American colonies, and declared all writings on 



THE AMERICAN REVOLUTION. 327 

paper not stamped to be null and void. Officials who were appointed to 
collect taxes were objects of scorn and execration, and it was not unusual 
for the populace to hang them in effigy as a mark of their detestation. 




SAMUEL ADAMS. 

The non-importation associations finally limited their opposition to 
the use of tea, and the East India Company in England found itself 
burdened with an enormous stock of tea, which it could not dispose of as 
usual in consequnece of the cessation of sales in America. The company 
therefore proposed to pay all the duties on the tea in England and ship 
it to America at its own risk, hoping that the fact of there being no duty 
to pay /;/ America would induce the colonists to purchase it. 

This plan met with the determined opposition of the king, who 



328 THE AMERICAN REVOLUTION. 

would not couseut to reliuquisli the assertion of his right to tax the 
Americans. Lord North could not understand that it was not the amount 
of the tax, but the principle involved in it, that was opposed by the 
Americans, and he proposed that the East India Company should pay 



HANGING A STAMP ACT OFFICIAL IN EFFIGY. 
three-fourths of the duty in England, leaving the other fourth — about 
three pence, or six cents, on a poiind — to be collected in America. His 
lordship was told plainly that the Americans would not purchase the tea 
on these conditions, but he answered : " It is to no purpose the making 
objections, for the king will have it so. The king means to try the 
question with the Americans." 

A fast-sailing vessel reached Boston about the first of November, 
1773, with the news that several ships laden with tea had sailed from 



THE AMERICAN REVOLUTION. 



:529 



England for America. On tlie third of November a meeting was held at 
Faueuil Hall, and, on motion of Samuel Adams, it was unanimously 
resolved to send the tea back upon its arrival. A man in the crowd cried 
out : " The only waj- to get rid of it is to throw it overboard." The first 
of the tea ships reached Boston on the twenty-fifth of November, 1773. 
A meeting of the citizens was held at Faneuil Hall, and it was ordered 
that the vessel should be moored to the wharf, and a guard of twent}-- 
five citizens was placed over her to see that no tea was removed. 




THROWING THE TEA OVERBOARD IN BOSTON HARBOR. 

On the sixteenth of December another meeting was held. Samuel 
Adams arose and gave the signal for action that had been determined 
upon by saying : " This meeting can do nothing more to save the coun- 
try." Instantly a shout rang through the room, and a band of forty or 
fifty men " dressed like Mohawk Indians," with their faces blackened to 
prevent recognition, hastened from the meeting to the wharf where the 
ships were moored. A guard was posted to prevent the intrusion of 



330 THE AMERICAN REVOLUTION. 

spies, and the ships were at once seized. Three hundred and forty-two 
chests of tea were broken open and their contents poured into the water. 
The affair was witnessed in silence b}' a large crowd on the shore. When 
the destruction of the tea was completed, the "Indians " and the crowu 
dispersed to their homes. Paul Revere was dispatched by the patriot 
leaders to carrj^ the news to New York and Philadelphia. 

The British government, still resolved upon coercing the colonies 
and collecting what the Americans believed to be unlawful taxes, sent a 
strong force of troops under General Gage for active service in Massa- 
chusetts and wherever else they might be needed. The Continental 
Congress assembled in Philadelphia and resolved upon an appeal to 
arms in justification of the position the colonies had assumed. In 
March, 1775, news reached England that all the colonies had endorsed 
the action of the Continental Congress and had pledged themselves to 
support it. 

LANTERNS SWING FROM THE CHURCH TOWER. 

General Gage now resolved to take a decisive step. He learned tha 
the patriots had established a depot of provisions and military stores at 
Concord, eighteen miles from Boston, and resolved to seize these supplies 
at once. The military force under his command at Boston numbered 
three thousand men, and he felt himself strong enough, not only to seize 
these stores, but also to arrest John Hancock and Samuel Adams, who 
were lodging at Lexington. Accordingly, on the night of the eighteenth 
of April, 1775, he detached a force of eight hundred men under Lieu- 
tenant-Colonel Smith, and shortly before midnight had them conveyed 
across Charles River to Cambridge, from which place they began their 
march to Concord. Gage had conducted the whole movement with the 
greatest secrecy, but his preparations had been detected by the patriot 
leaders in Boston, and Hancock and Adams had been warned of their 
danger. The British had hardl}' embarked in their boats when two 
lanterns were displa^'ed from the tower of the Old North Church. 

Paul Revere, the chosen messenger, who had been awaiting this 
signal, at once set off from Charlestown and rode in haste to Lexington 



THE AMERICAN REVOLUTION. 



331 



to warn tte patriots of the approach of the British troops. At the same 
time William Dawes left Boston lay the road over the Neck, and rode at 
full speed towards Lexington, arousing the country as he went along 
with his stirring tidings. Other messengers were sent forward by these 
men, and the alarm spread rapidly through the country. 





THE B"?lTTLE of LEXINGTON, APRIL 19, 1775. 

From Cambridge the British pushed forward rapidly towards Lex- 
ington. They had not gone far when they heard in advance of them the 
firing of alarm guns and the tolling of bells. The British officers were 
astonished at the rapidity with which their movement had been dis-, 
covered ; but they could not doubt the meaning of these signals. The 
country was being aroused, and their situation was becoming serious. 
Lieutenant-Colonel Smith sent a messenger to General Gage for rein- 



332 THE AMERICAN REVOLUTION. 

forcements, and ordered Major Pitcairn to push forward witli a part of 
the force and seize the two bridges at Concord. Pitcairn obcN'ed his 
orders .Dromptlj-, and arrested every one whom he met or overtook save 
a countryman, who escaped and reached Lexington in time to give the 
alarm. 

Pitcairn's division reached Lexington at daybreak on the nineteenth 
of April. They found seventy or eighty minute men, and several other 
persons, assembled on the common. They were ignorant of the inten- 
tions of the British, and supposed they merely wished to arrest Adams 
and Hancock, who had left the village upon the first alarm. 

"TOO FEW TO RESIST: TOO BRAVE TO FLY." 

As he saw the group, Pitcairn ordered his men to halt and load their 
muskets, and called out to the .\mericans : " Disperse, ^-e villains, ye 
rebels, disperse ; lav down ynur arms ; why don't }-on lay down 3-our 
arms and disperse ? " The Americans stood motionless, and silent, 
" witnesses against aggression ; too few to resist ; too brave to fly." Pit- 
cairn, seeing that his order was not obej'ed, discharged his pistol and 
ordered his men to fire. A few straggling shots followed this order, and 
then the regulars poured a close heavy volley into the Americaus, killing 
seven and wounding nine of them. Parker, the commander of the 
minute men, seeing that the affair was to be a massacre instead of a 
battle, ordered his men to disperse. The British then gave three cheers 
for their victory. In a little while Colonel Smith arrived with the 
remainder of his command, and the whole party then pushed on towards 
Concord. 

The alarm had already reached Concord, and in a little while news 
was received of the massacre at Lexington. The minute men prompth' 
assembled on the common, near the church, and awaited the approach of 
the enemy. The minute men from Lincoln came in at an early hour, 
and a few from Acton. About seven o'clock the British were seen 
advancing in two divisions, and as it was evident that they were about 
four times as numerous as the Americans, the latter retreated to the 



THE AMERICAN REVOLUTION. • 333 

summit of a lull on the opposite side of the Concord river, and there 
awaited the arrival of reinforcements, which were coming in from the 
surronnding countr}-. 

The British occupied the town, and posting a force of one hundred 
men to hold the North Bridge, began their search for arms and stores. 
The greater part of these had been secreted, but the soldiers found a few 
that could not be removed, and gave the rest of their time to plundering 
the houses of the town. " This slight waste of stores," says Bancroft, 
"was all the advantage for which Gage precipitated a civil war." 

MINUTE MEN HURRY TO THE FRONT. 

Between uine and ten o'clock the American force had increased by 
the arrival of the minute men from Acton, Bedford, Westford, Carlisle, 
Littleton and Chelmsford, to about four hundred and fifty. Below them, 
in full view, were the regulars plundering their homes, and from the town 
rose the smoke of the fires the soldiers had kindled for the destruction of 
the few stores they had managed to secure. Not knowing whether they 
meant lo burn the town or not the officers of the minute men resolved to 
advance and enter Concord. Barret, the commanding officer, cautioned 
the men not to fire unless attacked. As their approach was discovered 
the British began to take up the planks of the North Bridge, and to pre- 
vent this the Americans quickened their pace. The regulars then fired 
a voile}-, which killed two of the minute men. The fire was returned, 
and two of tlie soldiers were killed and several wounded. These volleys 
were followed bj' some desultory skirmishing, and about noon Colonel 
Smith drew off his men and began to retreat by the way he had come. 

One of those killed at the Inidge was Isaac Davis, the captain of the 
minute men of Acton. He had bidden his young wife a touching good- 
bye, as he ran to lead his men to the fight. A little later his dead body 
was brought to her door. 

With the retreat of the British from Concord the real work of the 
day began. The country was thoroughly aroused, and men came pour- 
ing in from every direction, eager to get a shot at the regulars. The road 



334 



THE AMERICAN R INVOLUTION. 



b}- which the ro\'al forces were retreating was narrow and crooked, and 
led through forests and thickets, and was bordered by the stone walls 
which enclosed the farms. At ever}' step the militia and minute men 
hung upon the enera}-, and kept up an irregular but fatal fire upon them 
from behind trees, fences and houses. Flanking parties were thrown 




DEATH OF ISAAC DAVIS. 

out to clear the wa}-, but withoiit success. The number of the Ameri- 
cans increased at every step. Each town took up the strife as the regulars 
entered its limits. Far and wide the alarm was spreading through 
the countr}', and the people were getting under arms. By noon a mes- 
senger rode furiously into the distant town of Worcester and shouted the 
alarm. Instantl}- the minute men of the town got under arms, and 
after joining their minister in pra3'er, on the common, took up the march 
for Cambridge. The whole province was rising, and the enemies of the 
fugitive regulars were increasing every moment. 



THE AMERICAN REVOLUTION. 



335 



Smith hurried his conimaud through Lexington at a rapid rate, and 
a short distance bej'ond the town met Lord Percy advancing to his 
assistance with twelve hundred infantry and two pieces of artillery. 
Percy formed his men into a square, enclosing the fugitives, who dropped 
helplessly on the ground, "their tongues hanging out of their mouths 
like those of dogs after a chase," and with his cannon kept the Ameri- 
cans at bay. He could not think of holding his position, however, and 
after a halt of half an hour 
resumed the retreat, first 
setting fire to some houses 
in Lexington. 

The loss of the Ameri- 
cans during the day was 
forty -nine killed, thirty - 
four wounded and five,,^| 
missing. The British lo- p 
in killed, wou^ed and /M 
missing two hundred and 
seventy-three men, or more 
than fell in Wolfe's army 
in the battle of the Heights 
of Abraham. Many of the 
officers, including Colonel 
Smith, were wounded. 

The news of the conflicts at Lexington and Concord spread rapidly 
through New England, and was sent by express messengers to New 
York and the colonies farther .south. In New England it produced a 
general uprising of the people, and in ten days Boston was blockaded by 
an irregular army of twenty-thousand provincial troops, whose encamp- 
ments extended from Roxbury to the Mystic River, above Charlestown, 
a distance of ten miles. John Stark, who had served with gallantry in 
the old French war, was on his way to Boston in ten minutes after he 
was informed of the fighting. 




GENERAL ISRAEL PUTNAM. 



336 THE AMERICAN REVOLUTION. 

Israel Putnam, a veteran soldier, and as true a hero as ever lived, 
was ploughing in his field when the courier rode by with the tidings of 
the battle. He left his plough, sprang on his horse, and after arousing 
his neighbors rode from his home, in Connecticut, to Cambridge, without 
even stopping to change his clothes. The Massachusetts Congress tool: 
energetic measures for tlie support of the army before Boston, and in r 
few da3^s this force began to assume a more regular character. 

BURGOYNE'S CONTEMPT FOR THE PATRIOT ARMY. 

Washington having been placed in command of the army, hurried 
to Boston from Philadelphia, accompanied by Generals Lee and 
Schu}-ler. He found about 15,000 men, made up of unorganized, 
irregular companies. Yet this force " with calico frocks and fowling- 
pieces " hemmed in within the narrow limits of Boston the splendid 
army of ten thousand men, commanded by such generals as Howe, 
Burgoyne and Sir Henry Clinton, which Gage had concentrated in 
Boston. Burgoyne could not repress his astonishment upon reaching 
Boston. " What ! " he exclaimed, " ten thousand peasants keep five 
thousand king's troops shut up ! Well, let us get in and we'll soon fine 
elbow room." 

Genei^al Gage now determined to extend his lines and to occupy 
Dorchester Heights, overlooking South Boston and Bunker Hill, ar 
eminence rising beyond Charlestown, on the north of Boston. Thi 
execution of this design was fixed for the eighteenth of June, and i: 
the meantime Gage's intention became known in the American camj 
To prevent it, it was resolved, at the instance of the Massachusett 
Committee of Safety, to seize and fortif}' these eminences, beginning 1 
with Bunker Hill. The more prudent opposed this undertaking as too 
rash ; it was certain to bring on a general engagement of the opposing 
forces and the Americans were too poorly provided with arms and ammu- 
nition to hope for success. Others insisted that no time should be lost 
in securing the Heights. 

Putnam was confident the}- could be held with proper intrench- 



THE AMERICAN REVOLUTION. 337 

ments, and that thus protected, the troops could be relied upon to hold 
their position. The great scarcity of ammunition rendered the under- 
taking one of peculiar daring, and it was necessary to select for the 
commander an officer whose firmness and discretion could be depended 
upou. The choice fell upon Colonel William Prescott, of Massachu- 
setts, and a brigade was placed under his orders. 

MARCHED AWAY IN THE DARKNESS. 

Soon after the sun set on the sixteenth of June a force of about 
eleven hundred men, armed principally with fowling pieces, and 
can-ying their scanty stock of powder and ball in their old-fashioned 
powder horns and pouches, assembled on Cambridge Common. Lang- 
don, the President of Harvard College, one of the chaplains of the 
army, offered up an impressive prayer, and then the ordef was given to 
march, and the column moved off in the darkness. No one knew the 
object of the expedition, but the presence of several wagons loaded with 
intrenching tools made it evident that the movement was one of import- 
ance. Charlestown Neck was strongly guarded, but the detachment 
passed it in safety and reached the summit of Bunker Hill without 
being observed. 

The Committee of Safety had suggested that Bunker Hill should 
be secured, but Prescott's orders from General Ward were to fortify 
Breed's Hill, a lower eminence, but nearer to Boston, and commanding 
the harbor more perfect!}'. It was a more exposed position than the 
other, but Prescott decided to obey his orders. The early morning light 
revealed to the astonished royalists the half-finished redoubt on Breed's 
Hill and the Americans still busily at work upon it. The British sloop- 
of-war "Lively," lying off the present navy yard, without waiting for 
orders opened a steady fire upon the redoubt, and her example was soon 
followed by the other war vessels and the floating batteries in the 
harbor. A battery of heavy guns was posted on Copp's Hill, in Boston, 
and opened on the redoubt. 

This fire was well calculated to demoralize a raw force such as that 

22 



338 THE AMKRICAN RKVOLUTION. 

witliin the redt)ul)t, but it produced uo effect upou the Americaus, who 
went on witli their task quietl}' aud with energy. Gridley soon with- 
drew from the hill, aud Prescott, tluis deserted, and without an engineer, 
prepared to extend his line to the best of his abilit3^ He prolonged it 
from the east side of the redoubt northward for about twent}' rods 
towards the bottom of the hill ; but the men were prevented from 
completing it b}' the heavj' fire of the British artiller}-. One man 
ventured beyond the redoubt earl}- in the da}', aud was killed by a 
shell. Prescott ordered him to be instantly buried, lest the sight of his 
body might dishearten the men. To inspire the troops with confidence, 
Prescott sprang upon the parapet and walked slowly up and down the 
work examining it and issuing his orders. 

HOUSE-TOPS CROWDED WITH PEOPLE. 

In the meantime the firing had aroused the people of Boston, who 
crowded the house-tops, aud every available point from which a view 
of the action could be obtained. General Gage reconnoitred the Ameri- 
can position from Boston through his glass, and observed Prescott, 
who was standing on the redoubt inspecting the work. " Who is that 
officer in command ? " he asked of Councillor Willard, who was b}' his 
side. "Will he fight?'' Willard had recognized Prescott, who was 
his brother-in-law, and replied : " He is an old soldier and will fight to 
the last drop of his blood." 

Gage thereupon determined to dislodge the Americans from their 
position without loss of time, and summoned a council of his officers at 
his headquarters, in which it was decided to cross Charles River, effect a 
landing at Moulton's Point, and attack the works in front. Generals 
Clinton and Grant advocated an attack from the direction of Charles- 
town Neck, which would have resulted in the capture of the whole 
American force ; but Gage refused to place his attacking column between 
the American arm}' at Cambridge and the detachment on the hill. 

The bustle in Boston as the British prepared for the attack could 
be distinctly seen by the Americans, and urgent messages were sent to 



THE AMP:ricAN revolution. 339 

I 

Geueral Ward for reinforcements and provisions. Putnam hurried to 
Ward's headquarters to urge this demand ; but Ward, who was greatly 
oppressed by the scarcity of powder in the camp, hesitated to weaken 
the main body, and it was not until eleven o'clock on the morning of the 
seventeenth of June that he gave orders for the regiments of Stark and 
Reed to advance to Prescott's assistance. The arrival of these troops 
greatly cheered the little band under Prescott, who had been working all 
night, and were greatly in need of food. 

READY FOR THE DEADLY FRAY. 

In the meantime Prescott had posted the Connecticut troops behind 
a rustic breastwork which he had constructed on the north of the re- 
doubt. A stone fence ran down the side of the hill towards a swamp in 
this direction. Behind this the Americans placed a post and rail fence 
which they had torn up, and filled the interval between them with the 
new mown hay, thus forming a rude shelter. A part of the reinforce- 
ments joined Knowlton at his breastwork, and the remainder halted on 
Bunker Hill to enable Putnam to hold that point, the possession of 
which he considered essential to the safety of the force on Breed's Hill. 
About two o'clock General Warren arrived. He held the commission 
of a major-general, and both Prescott and Putnam offered to relinquish 
the command to him, but he refused it, saying he had come to serve as 
a volunteer, and took his place in the ranks at the redoubt. 

At noon twenty-eight barges filled with regulars, under the com- 
mand of the British Generals Howe and Pigott, left Boston, and crossing 
the harbor, landed at Moulton's Point, under the cover of a heavy fire 
from the shipping. General Howe now discovered that the American 
position was stronger than he had supposed, and sent over to General 
Gage for reinforcements. While awaiting their arrival he refreshed his 
men with provisions and grog. His reinforcements having arrived. 
General Howe found himself at the head of over two thousand veteran 
troops splendidly equipped in every respect. Opposed to him were about 
fifteen hundred imperfectly armed Americans. Gage had threatened 



340 



THE AMERICAN REVOLUTION. 



that if Charlestowu Heights were occupied by the provincials he would 
burn the town of Charlestowu. He now proceeded to execute his bar- 
barous threat, and fired the town by means of shells from the battery on 
Copp's Hill hoping that the flames and smoke would screen the approach 




vTTLE OF BUNKER : .. 

of his attacking party under General Howe. A change of wind pre- 
vented this, however, and carried the smoke in the opposite direction. 

About half past two o'clock on the afternoon of the seventeenth of 
June, General Howe gave the order to advance. One di\'ision. under 
General Pigott, was ordered to storm the redoubt, while the other was 
led by General Howe in person against the rail fence, for the purpose of 
turning the American left flank and cutting off" the retreat of the force 
in the redoubt. Prescott passed along his line as he saw the advance of 



I 



THE AMERICAN REVOLUTION. 341 

the enem\^, and encouraged his men with his cheering words. " The 
red coats," he said, " will never reach the redoubt if you will but with- 
hold your fire till I give the order, and be careful not to shoot over their 
heads." Putnam had come down to the rail fence to encourage the men 
posted there, and as he saw the advance of the enemy, called out to the 
troops : "Wait till you see the white of their eyes ; aim at their waist- 
baud ; pick off the handsome coats." 

SPLENDID VALOR OF THE AMERICANS. 

The British advanced in splendid style up the side of the hill, firing 
rapidly as they moved on. The Americans awaited their advance in a 
deep silence. As Pigott's division came within forty j^ards of the redoubt, 
the defendei's levelled their guns and took a steady aim. A minute or 
two later Prescott gave the command, " Fire !" A sheet of flame broke 
from the rampart and tore great gaps in the English lines, which reeled 
and staggered back down the hill. The ofiicers exerted themselves gal- 
lantly to rally the men, and once more the line advanced. This time 
the Americans suffered them to come nearer, and again drove them back 
with a fatal fire before which whole ranks went down. They broke in 
such confusion that Pigott himself ordered a retreat. The division under 
General Howe was equall}- unfortunate. It was suffered to advance 
within thirty yards of the rail fence, and was then driven back by a fire 
which broke it in confusion. The British retired to the shore from which 
they had started. 

Greatly astonished, but not disheartened by his repulse. General 
Howe reformed his line, and after an interval of fifteen minutes moved 
off again against the works, his plan being the same as that of the first 
assault. This time the Americans reserved their fire as before, and once 
more sent the whole British line reeling and broken down the hill. 
Officers on the English side who had been in many engagements subse- 
quently declared that they had never seen such firing in any battle in 
which they had been engaged. A deafening cheer from the patriot line 
greeted the repulse of the enemy. " If we can drive them back once 



342 THE AMERICAN REVOLUTION. 

more," cried Prescott, " tliey cannot rally again." A shout from the 
redoubt answered him. " We are ready for the red coats again ! " 

General Clinton had witnessed the repulse of the regulars from his 
position on Copp's Hill, and was filled with astonishment and indigna- 
tion at the sight. Without waiting for orders he crossed over to Charles- 
town with reinforcements, and offered his services to General Howe as a 
volunteer. Many of the English officers were opposed to another attack ; 
but as it was learned that the ammunition of the Americans was very 
low, Howe resolved to storm the works with the bayonet, and this time 
to break through the open space between the redoubt and the rail 
fence breastwork. His men were ordered to lay aside their knapsacks, 
and many of them threw off their coats also. A raking fire of artillery 
drove the Americans from the breastwork, extending from the redoubt 
into that work, for shelter, and the order was given to the regulars to 
advance with fixed ba^^onets. 

DESPERATE HAND-TO-HAND FIGHTING. 

The Americans were nearly out of ammunition, and in the whole 
command there were not fift}' men with bayonets to their guns. They 
met the advance of the enemy with a sharp fire, but their powder hav- 
ing given out, were not able to check them. Pressing on the British 
assailed the redoubt on three sides with the bayonet. A desperate hand- 
to-hand struggle followed ; the Americans fighting with clubbed guns 
and with stones. It was impossible to hold the work, however, and 
Prescott gave the order to retreat. The men fell back in good order. The 
aged General Pomeroy, who was serving as a volunteer in the ranks, 
clubbed hi''- gun and retreated with his face to the regulars, keeping 
them at bay by his determined action. 

The detachment at the rail fence, under Knowlton, Stark and Reed, 
held their position until their comrades had withdrawn from the redoubt, 
and then retreated in good order down the hill, thus preventing the 
eneni}' from cutting off the retreat of Prescott's party. One of the 
last to leave the redoubt was General Warren, who had borne himself 




DEATH OF MAJOR PITCAIRN. 



3^3 



344 THE AMERICAN REVOLUTION. 

with great gallantry in the engagement. He had scarcely left the 
trenches when he fell shoL through the head, thus consecrating the spot 
with his blood, and leaving to his countrj- a noble memory which shej 
has ever held in grateful honor. 

Putnam had gone to the rear before the final attack of the enemy] 
to collect men for a reinforcement. On his return he met the retreating 
pro\-incials passing over Bunker Hill. Without orders from anj' one, 
he rallied such as would obey him, and for the first time during the day 
assumed the command. With these forces, and a detachment which 
arrived there too late to take part in the battle, he withdrew to Prospect Hill 
where he began to fortify his position. The British made no effort to 
pursue him, but contented themselves with occupying Breed's and Bun- 
ker Hills. In this battle the Americans lost four hundred and fifty men I 
killed, wounded and prisoners. The British, out of a force of less than 
three thousand, lost one thousand and fifty-four, including eighty-three i 
oflScers, thirteen of whom were killed. Among the killed was Major 
Pitcairn, who had ordered his men to fire on the patriots at Lexington. 
The victory was dearlj^ bought by the British. 

HELD THEIR GROUND AGAINST GREAT ODDS. 

In its moral effects the battle was worth as much to the Americans I 
as a success. It taught them that undisciplined provincials could hold 
their ground against the king's regulars, and inspired them with a con- 
fidence iu their own ability to maintain the struggle. They had held 
their ground against t\\4ce their number, and were driven from it only 
when their ammunition failed. General Gag^ t'as deeply impressed 
with this lesson, and made no attempt to assume the oflfensive. When 
the news of the battle reached England the ministers were greatly dis- 
satisfied with their \4ctory. Gage was recalled, and General Howe was 
appointed his successor. 

The winter of 1775-76 was passed b^^ the army before Boston in 
inaction. There was not ammunition enough in the camp to enable 
Washington to attack Boston, and the British were well content to 



THE AMERICAN REVOLUTION. 345 



remain witliiu their lines witliont seeking to raise the siege. The 
American arm}^ was without heavy guns, and was short of ammunition. 
Matters were gloomy, indeed. - The people were very anxious that 
Boston should be attacked, but such a course was impossible. As late 
as the tenth of February, 1776, Washington wrote: "Without men, 
without arms, without ammunition, little is to be done." 

ARRIVAL OF CANNON AND AMMUNITION. 

Colonel Knox, an American of&cer, offered to transport cannon 
from Fort Ticonderoga, on Lake Chaniplain. Towards the close of 
February the stock of powder was considerably increased, and a little 
later Colonel Knox arrived from Ticonderoga with the cannon and 
ammunition from that post. He had transported them on sledges across 
the long stretch of countr}- between Lake Chaniplain and Boston, and 
had overcome difhculties in the accomplishment of this task which 
seemed at first insurmountable. The arrival of these guns gave 
Washington a fair supply of heavy ordnance and put an end to the long 
delay which had prevailed in the American camp. The regular army 
had been increased to fourteen thousand men, and had been reinforced 
by six thousand militia from ]\Iassachusetts. 

All now was bustle and activity. The newly arrived cannon were 
mounted to command the cit}-, and Washington was at length able to 
attempt the long desired demonstration against the enemy in Boston. 
As early as December, 1775, Congress had urged him to undertake the 
capture of Boston, and had authorized him to destroy the city if he could 
expel the British in 1. jther wa}', and John Hancock, who was a large 
property owner, regardless of the fate of his possessions, had written to 
him: ''Do it, and ma}- God crown your attempt with success." Wash- 
ington resolved to seize the eminence on the south of Boston, known as 
Dorchester Heights. It commanded the town from that quarter and 
also the shipping in the harbor. Its possession b}' the Americans would 
force Sir William Howe either to evacuate the city or risk a general 
engagement for its recovery. 



;>-t(; THK AMERICAN REVOLUTION. 

On the evening of the second of March a heavy fire was opened 
npon the British lines by tae American batteries and also npon Boston. 
A number of honses were set on fire, and the attention of the British 
was fnlh' occnpied in extiugnishiug the flames. The bombardment was 
renewed the next night. At dark on the evening of the fonrth of March 
the Americans renewed their fire with redonbled \"igor, and were replied 
to with spirit by the British, and dnring the whole night the roar of 
cannon went on, covering the movements of the .\mericans from 
observation by the enemy. 

THE AMERICANS CAPTURE BOSTON. 

A conncil of war was held, and it was resolved by the British to 
abandon the town. As snch a step reqnired some time. Howe secured 
the safety of his army by declaring that he would burn the town if his 
troops were fired on during their embarkation. A deputation of the 
citizens proceeded to the American camp and informed General Wash- 
ington of Howe's determination, and in order to save the city from 
further suftering the British were allowed to depart in peace. They 
consumed eleven days in their embarkation. They embarked about 
fifteen hundred Tories with them, and after plundering a number of 
stores and private houses, and robbing the inhabitants of a considerable 
supply of provisions, they embarked on the seventeenth of March, and 
dropping down the bay anchored at Nantasket Roads. They had 
scarcely left the city when the American army, under Washington, 
marched in and occnpied the place. The long siege of ten months was 
at an end, and Boston was again free. The patriot army was received 
with enthusiasm,, and matters soon began to resume their accustomed 
condition. By the capture of Boston the Americans obtained possession 
of two hundred and fifty pieces of artillery, four mortars, aud a con- 
siderable quantity of ammunition. pro\-isions and clothing, which the 
British could not carry away. 

In the meantime Congress had sent General Charles Lee to the 
south to take command of the troops assembling to oppose Sir Henry 



THE AMERICAN REVOLUTION. 347 

Clinton, -who was waiting off tlie month of the Cape Fear river for the 
arrival of the fleet of Sir Peter Parker from Ireland. This fleet joined 
Clinton in May, and a little later Congress learned by means of inter- 
cepted letters that Charleston, in Sonth Carolina, was the object of attack. 
The command of the strong militar}^ force which the fleet brought was 
to be held by Sir Henry Clinton, to whom the general direction of the 
expedition was intrusted. Lee hastened at once to Charleston. He 
found there a force of about six thousand men, from the Carolinas and 
\'irginia ; but the city was not defended by a single fortification. Had 
Clinton assailed it at once, it must have fallen into his hands, as he arrived 
in the harbor on the fourth of June, the very day that Lee reached the 
city ; but he delaj^ed his attack until he could fortify his own position, 
and so gave Lee time to erect works for the defence of the city. 

BOMBARDMENT OF FORT MOULTRIE. 

The key to the American position was Fort Moultrie, a small work 
built of palmetto logs, and situated on the southwest point of Sullivan's 
Island. It was commanded by Colonel William Moultrie, whose name 
it bore. In front of it lay the British fleet under Sir Peter Parker. Sir 
Henry Clinton had taken position with two thousand men on Long 
Island, which was separated from Sullivan's Island by only a narrow 
creek, and was building batteries to cover his passage of the creek. His 
plan was to allow the fleet to breach the walls of Fort Moultrie and then 
to cross his troops to Sullivan's Island under the cover of his batteries, 
and carry the fort by storm. 

Lee, who was ignorant of the capacity of the soft, spongy palmetto 
wood for resisting the force of cannon shot, regarded the effort to hold 
Fort Moultrie as madness. He stationed a force under Colonel Thomp- 
son on Sullivan's Island opposite Clinton to dispute his passage of the 
creek, and took position on the mainland with the rest of his force where 
he could support either Moultrie or Thompson, as might be necessary. 

On the twenty-eighth of June the enemy's fleet opened fire on Fort 
Moultrie, which replied with spirit, and for ten hours the cannonade was 



348 



THE AMERICAN REVOLUTION. 



maintained with great vigor by both sides. The enemy's balls buried 
themselves in the soft, spongy wood of the palmetto logs, and thus did 




SERGEANT JASPER AT FORT MOULTRIE, 
little injury to the fort ; but the well directed fire of the American guns 
inflicted great damage upon the fleet. 

The British were finallv compelled to withdraw with heav3-loss, and 



THE AMERICAN REVOLUTION. 349 

abandoned and set fire to one of their ships. During the engagement 

the flag of the fort was shot away, and fell outside the walls. Sergeant 

Jasper, of the South Carolina forces, at once sprang over the wall and 

amidst a heavy fire secured the flag, tied it to a pole, and set it up again 

on the ramparts. This done, he rejoined his comrades at the guns. A 

few days later Governor Rutledge presented Jasper with his own sword 

and oftered him a lieutenant's commission. Jasper accepted the sword, 

but declined the commission on the ground that he could neither read nor 

write. 

FLEET HURRIED AWAY TO NEW YORK. 

Clinton made repeated efforts to cross the creek and storm the fort 
during the battle, but was as often driven back by the batteries under 
Thompson. At length, the fleet having withdrawn, he embarked his 
men, and soon after sailed for New York to join the troops assembling 
near that city. 

It was a surprise to no one when the first definite action looking 
towards independence was taken. On the fifteenth of May, 1776, the 
general assembly of Virginia instructed the delegates of that colony in 
Congress to offer a resolution in favor of the separation of the colonies 
from England, and the formal declaration of their independence. On 
the thirtieth of May Massachusetts instructed her delegates to support 
this resolution. On the seventh of June Richard Henry Lee, of Virginia, 
offered a resolution in Congress, "That the united colonies are, and 
ought to be, free and independent States, and that their political con- 
nection with Great Britain is, and ought to be, dissolved." 

The resolution was seconded b}' John Adams, of Massachusetts, 
and was debated with great earnestness. It was adopted by a bare 
majority of one — seven colonies voting for it, and six against it. In 
accordance with the resolution, a committee was appointed to draw up 
a declaration of independence, and, in order that the delegates might 
have an opportunity to ascertain the wishes of their constituents, the 
consideration of the subject was postponed until the first of July. Two 
other committees were also appointed. One of these was charged with 



350 THE AMERICAN REVOLUTION. 

the preparation of a plau for uniting the colonies in a single government; 
the other was to report a plau for securing alliances with foreign nations. 
The committee charged with the preparation of a declaration of inde- 
pendence consisted of Benjamin Franklin, John Adams, Thomas 
Jefferson, Roger Sherman and Robert R. Livingston. 

On the twenty-eighth of June the committee reported the declaration 
to Congress. It was written by Thomas Jeffersou, and, with a few 
verbal alterations, was adopted by the committee as it came from his 
hand. It reviewed in a clear and comprehensive manner the cause 
which had impelled the colonies to take up arms for the defense of their 
liberties, and which now induced them to sever the ties that bound them 
to Great Britain and strike for independence. 

LIFE, FORTUNE AND SACRED HONOR. 

The declaration concluded in these memorable words : " We, 
therefore, the representatives of the United States of America, in 
general Congress assembled, appealing to the Supreme Judge of all the 
world for the rectitude of our intentions, do, in the name and by the 
authoritv of the good people of these colonies, solemnly publish and 
declare that these united colonies are, and of right ought to be, free and 
independent states; that the}- are absolved from all allegiance to the 
British crown, and that all political connection between them and the 
state of Great Britain is, and ought to be, dissolved; and that, as free 
and independent states, they have full power to levy war, conclude 
peace, contract alliances, establish commerce and to do all other acts and 
things which independent states may of right do. And for the support 
of this declaration, with a firm reliance on the protection of a Divine 
Providence, we mutually pledge to each other our lives, our fortunes and 
our sacred honor." 

The declaration was debated in Congress, and a few passages, 
which it was feared might offend the friends of the colonies in Great 
Britain, were stricken out. The vote was then taken by colonies, 
and though some of the delegates voted against it, the declaration 



THE AMERICAN REVOLUTION. 351 

received tlie votes of all the colonies with the exception of New York, 
which accepted it a few da3'S later. On the fourth da}' of Jul}', 1776, 
the Declaration of Independence was formally adopted by Congress, 
and was ordered to be published to the world, and to be read at the head 
of the regiments of the army. 

Congress was in session in the hall of the state house in Phila- 
delphia. In the spire of this venerable building hung a bell, inscribed 
with the words of Scripture: "Proclaim liberty throughout all the laud 
unto all the inhabitant? thereof" On the morning of the fourth of July 
vast crowds assembled around the building, as it was known that 
Congress would on that day take definite action upon the declaration. 
The bell-ringer stationed himself in the tower, ready to proclaim the 
good news the moment it sliould be announced to him, and had posted 
his little sou at the door of the hall to await the signal of the doorkeeper. 

IT RANG OUT FOR LIBERTY. 

When the announcement of the vote was made, the doorkeeper 
gave the signal and the boy ran quickly to the tower. The old man 
heard him coming, and clutched the bell rope with a firm grasp. The 
next instant the glad cry of the boy's voice was heard. "Ring! ring!" 
he cried, and then the deep sonorous tones of the bell went rolling out of 
the tower, and were answered with a mighty shout from the assembled 
throng without. The declaration was received by all the states and by 
the army with enthusiasm. Thus the thirteen united colonies became 
the thirteen United States. It should not be forgotten that the declara- 
tion did not make the colonies independent states, or states in any sense. 
It was simply their announcement to the world that they had, each 
for itself, by the exercise of its own sovereign power, assumed the 
independence which rightfully belonged to it. 

It had been evident for some time that the next effort of the British 
would be to get possession of the city of New York. Their fleet 
already held the harbor, and should they succeed in securing the Hud- 
sou they would be able to establish a direct communication with Canada, 



352 



THE AMERICAN REVOLUTION. 



aud to Isolate New England and New York from the Middle States and 
the South. Reinforcements were sent to Washington from Pennsylvania, 
Maryland, Virginia and Delaware. These gave the American com- 
mander a force of about twenty-five thousand men ; but scarcely seven- 
teen thousand were fit for duty, the remainder being disabled by sickness. 

Washington erected two forts on Manhattan Island, one just above 
Kingsbridge, named Fort 
Washington, and the 
other j ust below it, named 
Fort Independence. 
Kingsbridge furnished 
the onl}- communication 
between the island of 
Manhattan and the main- 
land, and these forts were 
erected for its defence, 
as well as to hold the 
enemj^'s vessels in check 
should they attempt to 
ascend the Hudson. On 
the New Jersey side of 
the river, opposite Fort 
Washington, athird work 
was erected, and named 
Fort Lee. Other forts were built higher up the Hudson to hold the 
river against the enem}'' and maintain the communication between the 
Northern and Southern States. One of these, called Fort Montgomery, 
was located at the entrance to the Highlands, opposite the promontory 
of Anthony's Nose ; another was built six miles higher up the river, and 
was known as Fort Constitution. 

For the defence of the heights of Brooklyn, which commanded the 
cit)' of New York, Washington caused a line of works to be erected on a 
range of hills a short distance south of Brooklyn, and established there 




GENERAL NATIL'\NIEL GREENE 



THE AMERICAN REVOLUTION. 



353 



an intrenched camp. General Nathaniel Greene was placed in command 
of this position, and exerted himself with vigor to strengthen it. When 
he had matured his plans he was suddenly taken ill, and was obliged to 
relinquish the command to General Sullivan. 

The British fleet lay in Gravesend Bay, just without the Narrows, 
and Washington was for a while uncertain whether they would make 

their first attempt against 
the force on Long Island, 
or attack the city of New 
York. It soon became evi- 
dent that the capture of the 
lines on Long Island would 
be their first care, and Sul- 
livan was reinforced with 
six battalions, all that 
could be spared from New 
York, and on the twenty- 
fourth of August, General 
Putnam was placed in com- 
mand of the forces on Long 
Island. 

On the night of the 
twenty-sixth of August 
GENKK.^L JOHN sui.i.n'AN. the British crossed over 

from Staten Island to Long Island, and prepared to give battle. Their 
plan was to engage the attention of the Americans by a direct attack 
with two divisions, while Sir Henry Clinton, v/ith a third division, was 
to turn the left flank of the Americans and gain their rear. They hoped, 
if these movements were successful, to surround and capture the entire 
force under Putnam. Clinton began his march about nine o'clock on the 
night of the twenty-sixth, guided by a Long Island Tory. About day- 
light on the morning of the twenty-seventh of August, the enemy made 
their attack upon the front of the American position, and engaged their 

23 




354 Till'. AMKRICAN REVOLUTION. 

attention in this direction, while Clinton, bj' a rapid march, gained their 
rear. 

For ;i while the Americans fought well, bnt finding themselves almost 
surrounded, and in danger of being captured, thej' abondoned the field 
and retreated within the intrenchments at Brooklyn. The Hessian 
troops behaved with great barbarity during the engagement, and a num- 
ber of the Americans were cruelly and wantonly bayoneted by them. A 
part of the engagement was fought in the beautiful region now occupied 
by Greenwood cemetery, a most attractive burial place. 

SEVERE AMERICAN LOSS. 

Washington hastened to Brooklyn as soon as informed of the battle, 
and arrived just in time to witness the defeat of his troops. He was 
powerless to repair the disaster, and could only look on in helpless 
agony. " My God ! " he exclaimed, with tears: "What brave fellows 
I must lose this day ! " 

The American loss was very severe in this battle. Out of a force of 
five thousand men engaged, the}' lost two thousand men, a large num- 
ber of whom were prisoners. The British had sixteen thousand men 
engaged, and lost four hundred. Had they followed up their victory 
by an immediate assault upon the American intrenchments, the}' must 
have carried them ; but General Howe believed that Washington had 
a much stronger force for their defence than was the case, and encamped 
in front of the intrenchments, intending to begin operations against 
them the next day. The twentj'-eighth, however, was a da}' of drenching 
rain, and the enemy were unable to do more than break ground for a 
battei'y. On the twenty-ninth a dense fog hung over the island ; but it 
lifted for a moment, and enabled the Americans to detect an unusual 
commotion among the British shipping. 

It seemed plain that the enemy were preparing to enter the East 
River with their fleet, and so separate the force on Long Island from 
that in New York. Washington at once summoned a council of war, 
and it was decided to retreat from Long Island without delay. It was a 



THE AMERICAN REVOLUTION. 355 

hazardous attempt, for the army under General Howe was so close to the 
American lines that the conversations of the men could be heard, and 
the British fleet might at any moment seize the East River. To with- 
draw a force of nine thousand men across a wide, deep river, in the face 
of such an army and ileet, was a task which required the greatest skill. 

ENTIRE ARMY ESCAPED THE ENEMY. 

It was successfully accomplished, however. Every boat in and 
around New York and Brooklyn was impressed, and though the orders 
for the retreat were not issued until noon on the twenty-ninth, every- 
thing was in readiness for the retreat by eight o'clock that evening. At 
midnight the troops took up their silent march from the intrenched line 
to the ferry, where the boats, manned by Glover's regiment, which was 
composed of fishermen from Marblehead, awaited them. B}^ eight o'clock 
the next morning the entire army, with all its cattle, horses and wagons, 
was safe upon the New York side of the river, and beyond the reach of 
the enemy. 

Howe was greatly mortified at the escape of the American ami}', 
for he had regarded it as a sure prize, and prepared, with the aid of his 
ships, to seize the upper part of Manhattan Island, and confine the 
Americans to the city of New York, where their surrender would be 
inevitable. Before proceeding to the execution of this plan, he resolved 
to make another effort to induce the Americans to abandon their cause, 
as he rightly believed their defeat on Long Island would be followed by 
a season of great depression. A few da3's after the retreat he released 
General Sullivan, who had been taken prisoner in the battle, on parole, 
and sent a letter by him to Congress, asking that body to send an 
informal committee, whom he would receive as private gentlemen, to 
confer with him on some measure of reconciliation. 

Congress, willing to hear what he had to propose, sent Dr. Franklin, 
John Adams and Edward Rutledgc to confer with him. They met 
Lord Howe at a house on Staten Island, opposite Amboy. The only 
terms his lordship had to propose were the unconditional submission of 



3oO 



THE AMERICAN REVOLUTION. 



the Americans to tlie roj^al mere}-. He was informed that the Americai 
would consent to treat with Great Britain only as " a free and iudependei 
nation," and that it was useless to propose any other basis for a settle- 
ment. Lord Howe 
thereupon expressed 
his regret that he 
should be obliged to 
distress the Ameri- 
cans. Dr. Franklin 
thanked him for his 
good feeling, and 
remarked: " The, 
Americans will en- 
deavor tt5 lessen the 
pain you may feel 
by taking good cai^e 
of themselves." The 
report of the inter- 
view was made pub- 
lic by Congress, and 
had a happy effect. 
It convinced all 
classes that England 
had no terms to offer 
them but such as 
embraced a shameful 
surrender of their benjamin fr.anklin. 

liberties, and this they indignantly rejected as free men. 

Fearful that Howe would seek to shut him up in New York, 
Washington left a force within the cit)' to hold it, and encamped with 
the main body of his army on Harlem Heights, at the northern end of 
the island, from which he could secure his retreat into Westchester 
County. The army was reduced to less than twenty thousand men, and 




THE AMERICAN REVOLUTON. 367 

vas disheartened by tlae defeat on Long Island. It was seriously debated 
vbether New York sbould be defended or not; and it was proposed to 
)urn the city to the ground, in order to prevent the enemy from securing 
comfortable winter-quarters in it. Congress ordered that the city should 
lot be destroyed, but it was evident that it could not be held. 

Washington was anxious to learn the intentions of the enemy, 
\'ho still remained on Long Island, and Captain Nathan Hale, a 
;alented young officer of the Connecticut line, volunteered to enter their 
ines and procure the desired information. He proceeded to the British 
:amp, obtained the information wanted, and was returning in safety- 
,vhen he was arrested by a party of the enemy, among whom was a 
Tory relative, who recognized him. He was taken to Howe's head- 
quarters, and the next morning, September 22d, without any form of 
:rial, was hanged as a spy. He met his death with firmness, saying: 
' I only regret that I have but one life to lose for my country." 

SKILLFUL TACTICS OF WASHINGTON. 

In the meantime the British had seized the islands at the mouth of 
:he Harlem River, and had erected a battery on one of them. On the 
ifteenth of September they crossed in force to Manhattan Island, at 
Kipp's Bay, about three miles above the cit}-. They easily drove back 
;he force stationed there to resist their landing, and secured their 
position. Washington at once sent General Heath to hold the enemy in 
:heck, and ordered Putnam to evacuate the city of New York, and retire 
to Harlem Heights, without the loss of a moment. 

Putnam obeyed his orders promptly, and retreated from the city 
ilong the line of the Bloomingdale Road, now the upper part of 
Broadway. His march was retarded by a crowd of women and children 
fleeing from the citj^ and was exposed to the fire of the enemy's ship: 
in the Hudson. B3' great exertions he managed to save his command, 
but was obliged to leave his heavy artillerj^ and three hundred men in 
the hands of the enemv. The British at once took possession of New 
York, and threw up a line of intrenchments above the cit}', from the 



358 THE AMERICAN REVOLUTION. 

Hudson, at Bloomiugdale, to the East River, at Kipp's Bay. The 
Americans now held the upper part of the island, and erected a double line 
of earthworks from river to river, about four miles below Kingsbridge. 

On the sixteenth of September, the enemy made an attack upon the 
American advanced posts, but were handsomely repulsed by the Virginia 
and Connecticut troops. Major Leitch, the commander of the Virginians, 
and Colonel Knowlton, the commander of the Connecticut regiment, 
and one of the captains at Bunker Hill, were killed. In spite of these 
losses the spirit of the troops, which had been much depressed by the 
recent disasters, were greatly cheered. A lull of several weeks followed, 
during which the Americans suffered greatl}^ from sickness. They were 
without proper hospital accommodations, "and they lay about in almost 
every barn, stable, shed, and even under the fences and bushes." 

BATTLE OF WHITE PLAINS. 

Howe now began to move his army toward Long Island Sound, for 
the purpose of marching across the mainland to the Hudson and cutting 
off the retreat of Washington from Manhattan Island, and at the same 
time sent his fleet up the Huson. His intention was understood by 
Washington, who left three thousand men to defend Fort Washington, 
and with the main body of his army fell back to the line of the Bronx, 
near the village of White Plains. Here he was attacked on the twent}'- 
eighth of October by General Howe, who was advancing from the 
direction of New Rochelle, and who was still hopeful of gaining the 
American rear. A spirited encounter ensued, in which each party lost 
about four hundred men; and the British intrenched themselves in front 
of the American position. 

Apprehensive of an effort on the part of the enemy to storm his line, 
Washington caused the troops to spend the night in strengthening the 
works which covered it. They labored with such diligence that the next 
morning the British commander decided that the line was too strong to 
be attacked, and determined to wait for reinforcements. That night 
Washington silently abandoned his lines at White Plains, and withdrew 



THE AMERICAN REVOLUTION. 



359 



to the heights of North Castle, five miles distant. Howe, unwilling to 
follow him further, marched to Dobb's Ferry on the Hudson, and 
encamped. 

The American war had now entered its darkest period for the 
Americans. New York was lost to them, they had been driven from 
New Jersey, and their army seemed melting away. During the painful 

retreat across New Jer- 
sey, Washington had 
exerted himself to the 
utmost to call in the 
other detachments of his 
army. General Schuyler 
was directed to send him 
the Pennsylvania and 
'New Jersey troops in 
his command; but the en- 
listment of these troops 
were rapidly expiring, 
and they could not be in- 
duced to renew them. 
General Charles Lee was 
ordered to cross the Hud- 
with all speed, but he 
that were criminal. He 




GENERAL CHARLES LEE. 

join the commander-in-chief 



son and 

moved with a slowness and carelessness 

remained about a fortnight on the east side of the Hudson, and then 

began his march with such slowness that he did not reach Morristown 

until the eighth of December. 

On the thirteenth, while lying carelessly apart from his troops, at a 
small inn at Baskingridge, he was captured by a troop of British cavalry. 
The command passed to General Sullivan, and in a few days he had 
united his forces with those of the commander-in-chief. General Lee had 
an abiding confidence in his own ability, and was reluctant to lose his 
independent comraaud by joining Washington. His natural self-conceit 



;}G0 THE AMERICAN REVOLUTION. 



had been greatly increased by his success at the sduth, and he was 
firmly convinced that he alone was capable of guiding the American 
cause through the diflEculties which encompassed it. Influenced by this 
feeling, he disregarded the authority of the commander-in-chief, and 
.subjected him to great inconvenience. He was not untrue to the cause 
he had embraced, but hi.s patriotism was of a different t3-pe from that 
which animated Washington. 

The enlistments of a large part of the troops expired on the first of 
December, and nothing could induce them to remain in the armj-. 
Whole regiments abandoned the service, and the handful of re-inforce- 
ments which was obtained from Philadelphia fell far short of supplying 
their place. The people were disheartened, and it seemed that the 
cause was hopeless. A force of six militia regiments in Massachusetts 
and Connecticut was on the point of marching to Wa.shington's assist- 
ance, when the fleet of Sir Peter Parker entered Newport Harbor and 
landed a force on the island of Rhode Island, which took possession 
of Newport. In view of this invasion, it was deemed best to retain the 
New England militia at home. 

MILITARY OPERATIONS IN NEW JERSEY. 

Washington's force now numbered about six thousand men fit for 
duty. As the enlistments of many of them would soon expire, it was of 
the highest importance that something should be done to revive the 
confidence of the couutrv' before these men should be lost to the armj-. 
The circumstances in which Washington was placed required a blow to 
be struck in some quarter. A victory would be productive of the most 
important moral results; a defeat could do no more than ruin the cause, 
and a polic}' of inaction was sure to accomplish that. 

An opportunity at once presented itself The British had ceased 
their pursuit, and though the)' held New Jersey in strong force, had 
scattered their detachments through the State. General Howe was in 
New York, and Lord Cornwallis was at the same place, and was about 
to sail for England. Both commanders believed the American army to 



THE AMERICAN REVOLUTION. 361 

be too seriously crippled to assume the offensive during the winter. 
The Hessians, who constituted the advance guard of the roj'al forces, 
were stationed along the Delaware. Colonel Donop had his headquarters 
at Burlington, and Colonel Rahl was at Trenton with a force of fifteen 
hundred men. Rahl was a brave and competent officer, but he enter- 
tained such a thorough contempt for the Americans that he neglected to 
protect his position by earthworks or other defenses. The Hessians 
kept the country in terror ; they were inveterate thieves, and plundered 
both patriot and royalist without mcrcj-. They had earned the deep 
and abiding hatred of the American soldiers by bayoneting the wounded 
in the battles in which they had been engaged. 

CROSS THE DELAWARE AT MIDNIGHT. 

Washington now determined to recross the Delaware and attack the 
Hessians at different points. A force of twentj-'fof-r hundred picked 
troops under his own command was to cross the river a few miles above 
Trenton and attack the enemy at that place; and the same time another 
detachment iinder Reed and Cadwallader were to cross over from Bristol 
and drive the Hessians under Colonel Donop out of Burlington. These 
attacks were to be simultaneous, and wei'e ordered to be made at five 
o'clock on the morning of the twenty-sixth of December. 

The division of Washington was accompanied by a train of twenty- 
four field pieces under Colonel Knox. The river was high and full of 
floating ice, and the weather was cold and stormy. A detachment of 
boats had been collected for the service, and was manned by Colonel 
Glover's regiment of Marblehead fishermeu, who had ferried the army 
over the East River in the retreat from Long Island. The march was 
begun just after dark on Christmas night, and Washington hoped to 
reach the New Jersey shore by midnight; but the passage of the river 
was difficult and tedious by reason of the floating ice and the high wind 
which repeatedly swept the boats out of their course; and it was four 
o'clock before the artillery was landed. The march was at once resumed. 
Washington, with the main body, moved by a wide circuit to gain the 



362 



THE AMERICAN RFIVOLUTION. 



uorlh of the town, while a detachment under Sullivau was ordered to ad- 
vance by the river road and attack the enemy from the west and south sides. 
A blinding storm of hail and snow delayed the advance of the 
troops, but also concealed their movements from the enemy ; it was 




WASHINGTON CALLS ON COLONEL RAHL. 

eight o'clock before Trenton was reached. The attack was at once begun, 
and was pressed with vigor. The Hessians were completely taken by 
surprise ; they flew to arms promptly, but by this time the Americans 
had gained the main street, and were sweeping it with a battery of six 



THE AMERICAN REVOLUTION. 363 

pieces. Colonel Rahl was mortally wounded while leading his grena- 
diers to the charge, and his men, seized with a panic, endeavored to 
retreat. Finding that they were surrounded, about one thousand of 
them threw down their arms and surrendered. The remainder succeeded 
in escaping and ioining Colonel Donop at Burlington. 

The magnanimity of Washington was shown on this occasion by his 
paying a friendh^ visit to Colonel Rahl, who was lying at Trenton on 
his djang bed. Washington expressed his sympathy for the wounded 
officer, who, upon his death, is believed to have been buried in the grave- 
yard of the First Presbyterian Church, where his supposed remains 
were found fifty years later. 

ONE THOUSAND PRISONERS, INCLUDING OFFICERS. 

The Americans lost two men killed, and two were frozen to death on 
the march. Several were wounded. They took one thousand prisoners 
with their arms. Thirty-two of the captives were officers. Washington 
now learned that the ice was so thick in front of Bristol that Reed and 
Cadwallader had not been able to get their cannon over the river, and had 
not attacked the enemy at Burlington. He therefore deemed it best to 
withdraw into Pennsylvania, as Donop's force was still intact at Burling- 
ton, and the enemy had another column at Princeton, a few miles 
distant. On the evening of the twenty-sixth he returned to his camp 
bej'ond the Delaware. The next day he learned from Reed and Cadwalla- 
der, who had crossed the Delaware on the twenty-seventh, that Donop 
had called in all his detachments along the river, and had retreated in 
haste to New Brunswick and Princeton. 

The news of the victory at Trenton was received with delight in all 
parts of the country, and men began to take hope. Several regiments, 
whose terms of enlistment expired on the last day of December, were 
induced to remain longer. Great was the astonishment of General 
Howe when he learned of the battle at Trenton. He could scarcely 
believe that a handful of militia had captured a strong force of veteran 
troops led by such a commander as Colonel Rahl, 



364 THE AMERICAN REVOLUTION. 

The war in America had been watched with the deepest interest in 
Europe, and especially by France. The French government had been 
convinced long before the outbreak of the Revolntion that the treatment 
wliicli the colonies were receiving from Great Britain would ultimately 
cause their separation from her ; and ten years before the war began 
the Duke de Choisenl, the prime minister of Louis X\', liad sent Baron 
De Kalb to examine and report the state of feelings of the colonists 
towards Great Britain. De Kalb was a shrewd observer, and furnished 
his government with ample proofs that England was alienating the 
Americans bj' her treatment of them. Choiseul conceived the hope that, 
by offering the Americans free trade with France, they would be made 
to resent the course of England even more decidedly-. 

SERIOUS ALARM AMONG THE AMERICANS. 

When the Revolution began the French go\ernment was fully 
prepared for it, and was ready to avenge the loss of Canada by aiding 
the new republic in its efforts to throw off the authority of Great Britain. 
It was merel}^ waiting to see whether the Americans were able to main- 
tain the stand the}' had taken. Tlie news of the defeat on Long Island, 
the loss of New York, and the retreat through New Jersey, filled the 
friends of America with serious alarm, and it was generally believed in 
Europe that the Americans would not be able to withstand the superior 
force of the mother countr}-. 

In the eai-ly spring of 1777 it was known in Europe that the 
American army, which it was supposed had been driven in hopeless 
disorder over the Delaware without the means of continuing the war, 
had snddenl}' rallied and beaten a force of veteran troops at Trenton, 
and again at Princeton, and had recovered New Jersej' from the enemy. 
This intelligence produced the most profound astonishment in Europe, 
and was received in France with genuine satisfaction. The Americans 
were extolled as a race of heroes, and the prudence and good general- 
ship of Washington were spoken of with the highest praise. 

The French government now felt justified in aiding the patriots. 



THE AMERICAN REVOLUTION. 



365 



but it proceeded with cautiou. American privateers were secretly fitted 
out, with the connivance of the government, and were permitted to sell 
their prizes in Frencli ports, and the protests of the British ambassador 
against such acts were unheeded. The government made secret grants 

of arms and 
military stores to 
the Americans, 
and three ship- 
loads were sent 
out in the spring 
of 1777. Two of 
these vessels were 
captured bv the 
English, but the 
t h i r d r e a c li e d 
America in safety, 
and its cargo went 
to supply the de- 
/ ficiencies of the 
armj- at Morris- 
town . 

In the spring 
of this j-ear the 
commissioners 
sent to France by 
Congress reached 
that c o u n t r 3" . 
THK MARQUIS I)E L.'XFAYETTE. They had full 

power to enter into an alliance with the French king. They were 
granted several private interviews by the Count de Vergennes, the 
French Prime Minister, and were secretly encouraged to hope for 
the success of their mission. As j-et, however, France was not pre- 
pared to declare war against Great Britain. 




■Miti THK AMERICAN RKVOLUTIOX. 

Tliougli the goverument delayed its action, there were generous 
hearts iu France who were determined to give all the aid and comfort in ' 
their power to the struggling patriots. One of these was the youthful 
Marquis de Lafayette, the heir of a noble uame, the possessor of wealth 
and a high social position, and the husband of a beautiful and accom- 
plished wife. He had heard at a dinner party given bj- the French 
oflBcials at Ma5'ence to the Duke of Gloucester, a brother of the king of i 
England, the story of the war then going on in America, and its causes, i 
related by the lips of the ro3'al guest. 

LAFAYETTE ESPOUSES THE AMERICAN CAUSE, 

His generous heart at once went out in sympathv to the patriots, 
cind he resolved to leave his family and all its advantages at home and ; 
go to the aid of the Americans. He revealed his intention to the Count i 
de Broglie, a Marshal of France, who regarded his enterprise as Quixotic i 
and refused to aid him. Finding him determined, the count introduced ] 
his j-oung friend to the Baron De Kalb, an officer of experience and 
merit, who had visited America as Choiseul's agent in the last reig:i. 
De Kalb introduced Lafayette to Silas Deane, then the only American 
Commissioner in France. 

The news of the loss of New York and of New Jersey arrived about 
this time, but did not lessen the ardor of Lafaj-ette ; and, though the 
newly arrived commissioners, Franklin and Lee, candidly told him that 
they could not encourage him to hope for a successful issue of their 
cause, he avowed his determination to proceed. He purchased a vessel, 
which was loaded with arms and supplies by the commissioners. The 
French government attempted to prevent him from sailing, but he suc- 
ceeded iu getting oflf, accompanied by De Kalb and several others. He 
reached Philadelphia, ofiFered his services to Congress without pay, and 
was commissioned as a major-general in the American army, though not 
yet twenty years old. 

About the middle of Ma}-, Washington broke up his camp at Morris- 
town and occupied the heights of Middlebrook iu order to watch the 



THE AMERICAN REVOLUTION. 367 

British to better advantage. Howe made repeated efforts to draw him 
from this strong position into the open field, where the superior discipline 
of the royal troops would give him an advantage, but Washington out- 
generaled him completely, and Howe, finding it impossible to bring on 
an engagement, withdrew his army to Staten Island. 

While these movements were in progress the British sustained a 
serious loss in the capture of General Prescott, one of their principal 
officers, who had earned the dislike of the Americans by his arbitrary and 
contemptuous treatment of them. He was commanding the British forces 
at Newport, and had his headquarters on the outskirts of the town. On 
a dark night in July a companj- of picked men, under Colonel Barton, 
crossed Narragansett Bay in whale boats, and passing silently through 
the British fleet landed near Prescott' s quarters. The sentinel at the 
door was secured and the astounded general was roused from his bed and 
hurried away without being allowed time to dress. He was conveyed 
within the American lines, treated humanely by his captors and was 
afterwards exchanged for General Charles Lee. 

BRITISH GENERALS FLEET SAILS FROM NEW YORK. 

Washington now learned of the invasion of New York by the 
army of General Burgoyne, to which we shall refer further on. 
It was evident that Burgoyne was tr3'ing to reach the Hudson. 
Washington's spies in New York informed him that Howe was 
preparing to send off the larger part of his force by water, and 
the commander-in-chief was perplexed to know whether Howe 
intended ascending the Hudson to co-operate with Burgoyne, or 
to transport his arm}- to Philadelphia by water. Toward the last 
of July Howe sailed with his fleet from New York and stood out 
to sea. Ten days later his ships were reported off the mouth of the 
Delaware. Washington now felt confident that his design was to attack 
Philadelphia, and crossed the Delaware with his army and marched to 
Germantown to await the development of the enemy's plans. About the 
same time the British fleet stood out to sea again. Its destination was 




368 



THE AMERICAN REVOLUTION. 



369 



uncertain, and Washington held his army in readiness to march at a 
minute's notice to the threatened point. 

While awaiting the movements of Sir William Howe, Washington 




LAFAYETTE AND WASHINGTON, 
visited Philadelphia, where Arnold was in command and was engaged in 
fortifying the city, to consult with Congress and push forward the 
measures for the defence of the place. While there he met the newly 



24 



370 THE AMERICAN REVOLUTION. 

arrived Lafaj^ette. Washiugton was an acute judge of men, and at his 
first interview with Lafayette was deeplj- impressed with the noble and 
earnest character of the young soldier, and conceived for him a warm 
regard, which ended only with his life. 

In the midst of the uncertaintj' attending Howe's movements Wash- 
iugton received urgent appeals from Schuyler for assistance. He sent 
liini two brigades from the Highlands, and ordered Colonel Morgan to 
ioin him with his riflemen, who were regarded as more than a match for 
the Indians of Burgoyue's army. Arnold was also sent to assume com- 
mand of a division in the northern arm}^ as he was familiar with the 
country. Putnam was ordered to prevent Sir Henry Clinton, who had 
been left at New York, from ascending the Hudson and forming a junc- 
tion with Burgoyne, and General Lincoln, commanding the militia of 
Massachusetts, was directed to march with a portion of his force to 
Schujder's assistance. 

AMERICAN ARMY ON THE MARCH. 

As nothing had been heard of the British fleet, Washington was 
about to move from Germantown into New Jersey once more, when news 
was received that the enemy had ascended the Chesapeake to its head, 
and had landed their forces at Elkton, in Maryland, about sixty miles from 
Philadelphia. The Delaware had been obstructed and fortified a short 
distance below Philadelphia, and Howe had ascended the Chesapeake in 
order to seciire an undisputed landing. He intended to march his army 
across the country towards Philadelphia, while the fleet should return to 
the Delaware and aid the armv in reducing the forts on that river. He 
had eighteen thousand men with him, and effected his landing in Elkton 
without opposition on the twenty-fifth of August, and at once began his 
advance towards Philadelphia. 

Washington had but eleven thousand eff"ective men with him, and 
was in no way prepared to undertake a campaign in the open country. 
Nevertheless, he advanced at once to dispute the progress of the enemy, 
and by forced marches succeeded in reaching the vicinity of Wilmington 



THE AMERICAN REVOLUTION. 371 

lefore tte arrival of the British. Upon examining the country he 
lecided to contest the passage of the Braudywine Creek, and stationed 
is army along its left bank. 

The British ^vere advancing by the main road to Philadelphia, 
•hich crossed the Brandywine at Chadd's Ford, and as Washington 
apposed their main effort would be made at this point, he stationed the 
reater part of his army to cover it. On the eleventh of September the 
tritisli army reached the creek. Howe ordered General Knyphausen to 
lake a feint at Chadd's Ford as if he were aboiit to force a passage, 
'hile he sent Cornwallis with a strong column to pass the creek higher 
p and turn the American right flank. This plan was successfully 
arried out. Washington was deceived by the officer sent to ascertain 
F the enemy were threatening his right, and was left in ignorance of 
!ornwallis' movement until it was too late to prevent it. Being out- 
auked, the American army was compelled to fall back with a loss of 
svelve hundred men. The troops did not know they had suffered a 
sverse, but supposing they had merely experienced a check were in 
igh spirits and were read}- for further action. 

LAFAYETTE AND PULASKI DISTINGUISH THEMSELVES. 

Lafayette was wounded in this battle, and Pulaski so greatly dis- 
uguished himself that he was subsequently rewarded by Congress with 
le rank of brigadier-general and the command of the cavalry. 

Sir William Howe did not push his advantage, but remained for 
NO days near the battle-field. Washington in the meantime retreated 
) Chester, and then to the Schuylkill, which he crossed on the twelfth 
f September, and proceeded to Germantown, where the army went into 
imp. The men were in excellent spirits, and a day or two later 
i/^ashington recrossed the river and moved towards the enemy, whom 
e encountered about twenty-five miles from Philadelphia on the 
xteenth. 

A violent rain storm prevented the two armies from engaging, and 
ijured the arms and ammunition of the men so much that Washington 



372 THE AMERICAN REVOLUTION. 

deemed it best to withdraw to Pott's Grove, on tlie Scbuj-lkill, about 
thirty miles from Philadelphia. At the same time he detached General 
Wa^Mie, with a force of fifteen hundred men, to gain the enemy's rear 
and cut off their wagon train. A Tory carried information of this move- 
ment to the British commander, and Waj-ne was himself surprised at t 
Paoli Tavern, on the twentieth of September, and defeated with a loss of 
three hundred men. 

It being impossible to save the city of Philadelphia from capture the i 
militar}- stores were removed, and a contribution was levied upon the 
people to supply the army with clothing, shoes and other necessaries 
during the winter. Congress, in view of the great danger wliich 
threatened the countr}-, conferred dictatorial powers upon Washington 
for sixt}' da3's, and then extended this time to a period of four months. 
Congress then adjourned to meet at Lancaster, from which, a few days 
later, it transferred its session to York, beyond the Susquehanna. 

AMERICANS HOLD THE FORTS. 

How^e crossed the Schuylkill by a night march, and on the twenty- 
sixth of September entered Philadelphia. The bulk of his ami}- was 
stationed at Germantown, and a small detachment was left to hold the city. 

The Americans, though the}'^ had lost Philadelphia, still held the 
forts on the Delaware, a short distance below the mouth of the Schuylkill. 
The work on the Pennsvlvania side was called Fort Mifflin, and was 
built on a low mud island. ImmediateU^ opposite at Red Bank, on the 
New Jersey shore, Avas Fort Mercer. Both w-orks were armed with' 
heavy guns, and commanded the river perfectly. The channel was 
obstructed with heavy logs fastened together and sunk in the stream 
so securely as to render their removal difficult. Above these obstructions 
were several floating batteries. 

After landing the British army at Elkton, Lord Howe carried his 
fleet down the Chesapeake, and entering the Delaware took position 
below the forts to await co-operation of the army in the attack upon them. 

Washington having learned that Howe had withdrawn a part of 



THP: AMERICAN REVOLUTION. 373 

his force from Germautowu to aid in the operations against the fort, 
resolved to surprise the remainder. A night march of fourteen miles 
brought the American arm}' to Gennantown at sunrise on the morning 
of the fourth of October. A heavy fog hung over the countrj- and 
prevented the commander-in-chief from seeing either the position of the 
eneni}' or that of his own troops. 

BRITISH SURPRISED AND ROUTED. 

The British were taken by surprise, and driven in disorder. The 
victory seemed within the grasp of Washington, when the Americans 
abandoned the pursuit to attack a stone house in which a few of the 
enemjr had taken refuge. While thus engaged the}' were seized with an 
unaccountable panic, which threw them into confusion. The British 
rallied, and, assailing the Americans in their turn, drove them from the 
field with a loss of one thousand men. Washington was greatly 
mortified bv this failure. He wrote to Congress: "Every account 
confirms the opinion I at first entertained, that our troops retreated at 
the instant when victory was declaring herself in our favor.'' 

Howe now drew in his army nearer to Philadelphia, and prepared 
for an immediate attack on the forts on the Delaware. These held that 
river so securely that the British fleet was not able to bring supplies up 
to the city. The provisions of the army were nearly exhausted, and if 
the forts could not be reduced it would be necessary to evacuate Phila- 
delphia in order to obtain food. On the twenty-second of October, 
Count Donop was sent with a force of twelve hundred picked Hessians 
to storm Fort Mercer, at Red Bank, while the fleet reduced Fort Mifflin. 
Donop's attack was repulsed with a loss of four hundred men, the 
Hessian commander himself being among the slain. In the attack on 
Fort Mifflin, the British lost two ships and the remainder were more or 
less injured by the fire of the American guns. 

Shortly after this repulse, the British erected batteries on a small 
island in the Delaware, which commanded Fort Mifflin, and on the tenth 
of November opened a heavy bombardment of the fort from these works 



374 



thp: ami-:rican rI'.volution. 



aud fnim tlicir fleet. Tlie bombardment was continued until the night 
of tlie fifteenth. The work.s being nearly destroyed. Fort Mifflin was 
abandoned on the night of the sixteenth, and on the eighteenth the 
garrison was witlidrawn from the fort at Red Rank. Tlie British now 
removed the obstructions from the river, and their fleet ascended 
to Philadelphia. General Howe constructed a strongly fortified line 

from the Schuyl- 
kill to the Dela- 
ware, a b o \' e 
Philadelphia, aud 
went into wiuter 
quarters with his 
army behind the.se 
defences. 

The season 
I being too late for 
active operations, 
Washington with- 
drew his army to 
Valle)' Forge on 
che Schuylkill, 
a b o u t t w e n t y 
miles from Phila- 
delphia, and went into winter quarters. From this position he could 
protect Congress, sitting at York. 

In the northern department the year had been marked by the most 
important events. Sir Guy Carleton was succeeded in the command of 
the British forces in Canada, b}^ General Burgoyne, an officer of ability 
aud integrilw He was stronglv reinforced and soon had under his 
command a finelv equipped arnivof ten thousand men. Burgoyne gave 
a great " war feast " to the Indians, who, in answer to his appeal on this 
occasion, promised to aid him, thinking that with his fine large army 
he would be able to whip the rebels in a short time. 




VAI.I.F.V FdRGE, PENXSVI.VAVI.A. WUKKP. WASHINGTON'S 
ARMY WENT INTO WINTER (.UAKTERS. 



\ 



THE AMERICAN REVOLUTION. 375 

About eight thousand of Burgoyne's troops were British and Hes- 
sian regulars, the remainder Canadians and Indians. The army was 
plentifully supplied with artillery of the most improved pattern, which 
was under the immediate command of General Philips, a veteran who 
had served with great distinction in the Seven Years' War. The second 
in command of the army was General Frazer, an officer of acknowledged 
skill, who was greatl}' beloved by the troops. Baron Reidesel, the 
commander of the Hessians, was also an old soldier. Altogether, the 
force under Burgoyue was the most splendid body of troops Great Britain 
had yet assembled m 
America. With this 
army Burgojme was to 
advance by wa}' of Lake 
Cham plain to the Hud 
son, while a detachment 
under General St. Legei 
was to move eastward b^ 
way of Oswego and 
descend the Mohawk to 
the Hudson. The peo- 
ple of the whole region 
were profoundly excited, Washington's headquarters at valley forge. 
and they were determined that the British army should never leave 
their country. Much of this feeling was caused by the outrages 
of the Indians in Burgoyne's army, who prowled about the country', 
murdering and plundering the people who were exposed to their 
fury. 

One of their crimes roused the whole northern region to action. A 
beautiful young girl, Jenny McCrea by name, was visiting a friend near 
P'ort Edward. She was betrothed to a young Tory who had fled to 
Canada some time since, and was now serving as a lieutenant in Bur- 
goyne's army. When her friends removed from Fort Edward to Albany, 
to avoid the danger which threatened them, she lingered behind in spite 




376 



Tin-: .\mi:ri,a\" rkn-oiation. 



of their invitation to accompany them, hoping to meet her lover nuder 
the advance of Biirgoyne's forces. 

The house in which she was staying was attacked by a party of 
Indians, and she was taken prisoner. Anxious for her safety she prom- 
ised her captors a liberal reward if the j^ would conduct her to her lover 
in the British camp. On the way they quarrelled over the promised 




GENER.AL BLRGOVNi: .ADDRESSING THE INDIANS. 

reward, and in their rage murdered the poor girl and carried her scalp 
into the British camp. Burgovne was horror-struck at the atrocious 
deed, and promptly disavowed it ; but the news of the murder roused a 
stern desire for vengeance throughout the northern department. The 
terrible scenes of the old French War were not forgotten, and the people 
were fearful they would now be revived under British influence unless 
Burgoyne's army were destrov'ed. Thousands flocked to the .\merican 
gamp, with such arms as they could procure, eager to crush the enemj-. 
In the meantime St. Leger had moved from Oswego into the valley 



THE AMERICAN REVOLUTION. 377 

of the Mohawk, and liacl laid siege to Fort Schuyler or vSamvix, on the 
site of the present city of Rome. The fort was commanded b}' Colonel 
Gansevot)rl. The siege was begun on ihe third of August, and a few 
days later news was received by the little garrison that General 




HERKIMER MORTALLY WOUNDED. 
Herkimer, with eight hundred militia, was advancing to their assistance. 
On the si.xth of August Herkimer reached a place called Oriskany, 
where, owing to the impatience of his men, he fell iuto an ambnsh of 
Tories and Indians. The fight which ensued was one of the most 



378 THE AMERICAN REVOLUTION. 

desperate of the war; quarter was neither asked nor given bj' either party. 
Herkimer was mortally wounded, but continued to cheer on his I 
men, until a successful sally from the fort compelled St. Legerj 
to recall the force engaged with Herkimer to defend his own camp. 
The American militia then retreated, carrying with them their com-J 
mauder who died a few da}^s later. Fort Schuyler was left in a critical 
condition, and Arnold was sent at his own request to its relief He caused! 
the strength of his force to be greatlj^ exaggerated, and spread a report, 
that Burgo^-ne had been defeated. The Indians deserted St. Leger rapidly! 
upon hearing these reports, and that commander hastily abandoned his I 
camp, and retreated into Canada with the remainder of his force. 

BURGOYNES ARMY IN STRAITS. 

Burgoj'ne had now reached the Hudson, and had full command of] 
Lakes George and Champlain; but the people of the country were hostilej 
to him, and he found it hard to procure either cattle or horses. Though! 
his camp on the Hudson was but eighteen miles from Lake George, this 
lack of animals made it almost impossible to transport his supplies across 
the intervening countr}-, and his army was beginning to run short of 
provisions. 

To obtain horses and provisions, Burg03'ne, early in August, sent a 
force of five hiindred Germans and a detachment of Indians and Tories, 
under Lieutenant-Colonel Baum, to seize the stores collected b}- the 
Americans at Bennington, \'ermont, and to collect such horses and 
cattle as the}' could on the march. He was told that the people of the 
neighborhood were largely devoted to the king, and that the stores were 
unguarded. 

The news of the approach of this force spread rapidh* through the 
countr}', and the Green Mountain Boys, as the Vermont militia were 
termed, flew to arms. Colonel Stark, who had retired from the Con- 
tinental arm}'' on account of having been neglected in the recent promo- 
tions, was in the neighborhood, and was ofi^ered the command of the 
gathering forces. He accepted it promptly, and issued a warning to the 



THE AMERICAN REVOLUTION. 379 

people along the route of the British to drive off their horses and cattle, 
and to conceal their grain and wagons to prevent their capture by the 
enemy. A messenger was sent with all speed to Manchester to Colonel 
Seth Warner, urging him to march at once with his regiment to Ben- 
nington, where he was needed. 

Baum had advanced to within six miles of Bennington when lie heard 
of the approach of the militia under Stark. He halted, intrenched his 
position, and sent to Burgoyne for reinforcements. Colonel Breyman 
with five hundred Hessians and two pieces of artillery was despatched 
to his assistance and he made all possible daste. 

MILITIA EAGER TO FIGHT. 

Stark was prevented from making an immediate attack upon Baum 
by a furious rain-storm, which also delayed the march of Breyman and 
Warner. During the night of the fifteenth of August Stark was joined 
by the militia from Berkshire, Massachusetts. They were anxious to 
engage theenemv at once, and were impatient at the delay caused by the 
storm. One of their number. Parson Allen, approached Stark. "General," 
said he, " the people of Berkshire have often been called out to no 
purpose ; if you don't give them a chance to fight now they will never 
turn out again." Stark remarked his earnestness, and said, with a 
smile, " You would not tiirn out now, while it is dark and raining, would 
you?" " Not just now," answered the parson. "Well," said Stark, 
"if the Lord should once more give us sunshine, and I don't give you 
fighting enough, I'll never ask you to turn out again." 

The morning of the sixteenth came bright and clear, and Stark at 
once began his advance upon the enemy. Arriving in sight of the Brit- 
ish works, he pointed them out to his men. " There are the red coats ! 
We must beat them to-day or Molly Stark sleeps a widow to-night." A 
spirited attack was made upon the British lines, both in front and in the 
rear, and after two hours' hard fighting they were carried by storm. 
Baum fell mortally wounded and his men laid down their arms. The 
Indians and Tories had escaped to the woods at the opening of the battle. 



380 nil': AMl'.KICAN REVOLUTION. 

The fighting had scarcely ended when the force under Colonel Brey- 
raan appeared and at once engaged the Americans. At the same moment 
Warner's regiment, which had pnshed forward all night in the rain, 
reached the field. The battle was continued until nightfall, when Lrcy- 
man abandoned his artillery and made a hurried i"etreat to Burgoyne's 
camp on the Hndson. The Americans had fourteen killed and forty 
wounded. They took six hundred prisoners, one thousand stand of arms 
and four pieces of cannon. 

BURGOYNE DESERTED BY THE INDIANS. 

Burgoyne now found himself in a most critical condition. He had 
reached the Hudson, but his troops were short of provisions ; his efforts 
against Fort Schuyler and Bennington had failed, and his force was 
being reduced by the desertion of the Indians. Burgoyne was a man 
of humanity and true soldierl}^ spirit, had no sympathy with the bar- 
barous policy of his government in employing the savages 
against the Americans, and had sternly cut short their cruelties. 
The Indians had taken offence at his course and were leaving 
his army in great numbers. He made no effort to detain them, 
preferring to lose their services I'ather than allow them to continue 
their atrocities. On the other hand, the American army was daily 
growing stronger. The militia were flocking to it in great numbers, 
and reinforcements were received from the Highlands. The militia 
of New Hampshire and Massachusetts were threatening Ticonderoga, 
the capture of which post would cut off his communications witli 
Canada. The contrast between the present condition of the British 
army and that of a few weeks before w'as marked indeed. 

The next great event of the war was the surrender of General 
Burg03-ne, wdio was so hard pressed b}' the American troops, led h\ 
Arnold, that they were compelled to laj* down their arms. The capture 
of Burgoyne's army was hailed with delight throughout the country. 
Count Pulaski, a celebrated Polish officer w ho ha,d espoused the 
American cause, succeeded in raising an independent bod}' of cavalry 



THE AMERICAN REVOLUTION. 



381 



for operating on the southern coast. This was in March, 1779. The 
American forces in the Southern States were commanded by General 
Benjamin Lincoln. The Tories were ver^- numerous and ver}' active 
in this region, and the feeling between them and the patriots was one 
of the bitterest hostility, and often manifested itself in bloody and 
relentless conflicts. Seven hundred Tories under Colonel Bovd set 
out in February, 1779, to join Colonel Campbell at Augusta. On the 
fourteenth they were attack- 
ed at Kettle Creek bv a force 
of patriots under Colonel 
Pickens, and were defeated 
with heav}' loss. Pickens 
hung five of his prisoners as 
traitors. 

General Lincoln now 
sent General Ashe with two 
thousand men to drive the 
British out of Augusta. Upon 
hearing of his approach Col- 
onel Campbell evaciiated 
Augusta and fell back to 
Brier Creek, a small stream GENERAL BENJAMIN LINCOLN. 

about halfway to Savannah. Ashe followed him, but without observing 
proper caution, and on the third of March was surprised and routed b\- 
Campbell, with the loss of nearly his entire force. This defeat encour- 
aged General Prevost to attempt the capture of Charleston. 

He marched rapidly across tlie country to Charleston, and demanded 
its surrender. Lincoln, who had been reinforced, no sooner heard of 
this movement than he hastened, by forced marches, to the relief of 
Charleston and compelled Prevost to retire to St. John's Island, opposite 
the mainland. The British threw up a redoubt at Stone Ferry to protect 
the crossing to this island. It was attacked on the twentieth of June 
by the forces of General Lincoln, who were repulsed with heavy loss. A 




^-^^ 



382 THE AMERICAN REVOLUTION'. 

little later Prevost withdrew to Savannah. The intense heat of the 
weather suspended military operations iu the south during the remainder 
of the summer. 

In September, 1779, the French fleet, under Count D'Estaing, 
arrived off the coast of Georgia from the West Indies, and the admiral 
agreed to join Lincoln in an effort to recapture Savannah. The Ameri- 
can army began its investment of the city on the twenty-third of Septem- 
ber, and everything promised favorably for success ; but D'Estaing 
became impatient of the delay of a regular siege, and declared that he 
must return to the West Indies to watch the British fleet in those waters. 
Savannah must either be taken by assault, or he would withdraw from the 
siege. To please him, Lincoln consented to storm the British works, 
and the assault was made on the ninth of October, but was repulsed with 
severe loss. D'Estaing himself was wounded, and the chivalrous Count 
Pulaski was killed. Liucoln now retreated to Charleston, and the French 
fleet sailed to the West Indies, having a second time failed to render any 
real assistance to the Americans. This disaster closed the campaign for 
the year in the south. 

PLUNDERING EXPEDITIONS SENT OUT. 

In the meantime Sir Henry Clinton had been ordered by his govern- 
ment to harass the American coast, and in accordance with these instruc- 
tions despatched a number of plundering expeditions from New York 
against exposed points. One of these was sent in May, under General 
Mathews, into the Chesapeake. Mathews entered the Elizabeth river, 
plundered the towns of Norfolk and Portsmouth, and burned one hun- 
dred and thirty merchant vessels and several ships of war on the stocks 
at Gosport, near Portsmouth. He then ascended the James for some dis- 
tance and ravaged its shores. He destroyed in this expedition two mil- 
lions of dollars' worth of property, and carried ofi" about three thousand 
hogsheads of tobacco. 

Towards the close of the summer of 1779, Washington resolved to 
inflict upon the Indians a severe punishment for their outrages upon the 




GALLANT CHARGE OF COUNT PULASKI. 



383 



384 THE AMERICAN REVOLUTION. 

w ites, aud especially fi)r massacres of Wj^oming and Cherry Valley in 
the previous year. Early in August, General Sullivan was sent into 
Western New York with three thousand men, with orders to ravish the 
country of the Six Nations. He was joined by General James Clinton, 
with two thousand men, and on the twenty-ninth of August attacked and 
defeated a force of seventeen Inindred Indians and Tories at Newtown, 
now Elniira. Sullivan followed up his victory by pushing forward into 
the Indian country and laying it waste with fire and sword. 

In the course of a few weeks he destroyed more than forty Indian 
villages aud burned all the cornfields and orchards. The beautiful val- 
ley of the Genesee was made a desert, and to avoid starvation the Indians 
aud their Tory allies were obliged to emigrate to Canada. They were 
quieted but for a time by the terrible vengeance of the Americans, 
and soon renewed their depredations, and continued to the end of the war. 

EXPLOITS OF AMERICAN PRIVATEERS. 

Congress had made great efforts to increase the force of the nav}% 
and the number of American men-of-war had been materially enlarged. 
Many of them had been captiired, however, by the enemy, and the navy 
was still weak and unable to render much service to the cause. 

The privateers were unusually active, and were hunted with unre- 
mitting vigilance by the English war vessels. They managed to inflict 
great loss upon the commerce of Great Britain, however. A number of 
American cruisers were fitted out in France, and kept the English coast 
in terror. 

John Paul Jones, a native of Scotland, who had been brought to Vir- 
ginia at an earl 3- age, was one of the first naval officers commissioned bj' 
Congress. He was given command of the " Ranger," a vessel of 
eighteen guns, and b}^ his brilliant and daring exploits kept the English 
coast in a state of terror, and even ventured to attack exposed points on 
the coast of Scotland. In 1779 he was given command of a small squad- 
ron of three ships of war fitted out in France, and sailing from L'Orient, 
proceeded on a cruise along the coast of Great Britain. 



THE AMERICAN REVOLUTION. 



385 



On the the twenty-third of September he fell in with a fleet of 
merchantmen convoyed by two English frigates and at once attacked 
tliem. The battle began at seven in the evening, and was continued for 
three hours with great fur^^ Jones lashed his flagship, the "Bon 
Homme Richard," to the English frigate "Serapis," and the two vessels 
fought muzzle to muzzle 
until the "Serapis" sur- 
rendered. The other Eng- 
lish vessel was also cap- 
tured. The battle was one 
of the most desperate in 
the annals of naval war- 
fare, and Jones' flagship 
was so badly injured that it 
sunk in a few hours after 
the fighting was o\er. 

Jones was absent from 
home for about three years, 
during which time his ex- 
ploits were numerous and 
of the most astonishing 
character. He was de- 
nounced as a pirate bj' the 
English, who became so 
alarmed b}- his achieve- 
ments that many peopledid 
not feel safe even in London. 




JOHN PAUL JONES. 



Some of the timid ones looked out on the Thames, half-expecting to see 
the terrible fellow lay their cit}^ under tribute. At one time he landed 
on the coast of Scotland, and, appearing at the residence of the Earl of 
Selkirk, captured a large amount of silver plate and booty. But he 
treated the Earl's household with great courtesy, and the plate that was 
seized at the time is now in the possession of the members of the Selkirk 



25 



386 THE AMERICAN REVOLUTION. 

fouiily. Paul Joues returned to Pliiladelpliia February 18, 1781, aud 
received a heart}- welcome. Congress gave him an appropriate medal 
and a vote of thanks. 

South Carolina was so completely subjugated that earl}'' in June 
Sir Henry Clinton sailed for New York, leaving Lord Coniwallis to 
complete the conquest of the State. The country abounded in Tories, 
who exerted themselves actively to assist the British commander in his 
efforts to hold the Carolinas in subjection. Large numbers of them 
joined the British army, and " loyal legions " were formed in various 
parts of the country. 

The onl}^ resistance kept up b}' the Americans was maintained by 
partisan corps of patriots led by Marion, Sumter and Pickens. The 
exploits of these daring bauds caused the British commander to feel that 
he could not hold the Carolinas except b}'^ the aid of a strong force, and 
kept him in a state of constant uneasiness. On the sixteenth of August 
Sumter defeated a large body of British and Tories at Hanging Rock, 
east of the Wateree river. Large numbers of negroes deserted their 
masters and fled to the British. 

THE WAR GOES ON IN THE SOUTH. 

In order to offer a definite resistance to the British, and to collect a 
regular army to oppose them, the Baron De Kalb was sent to take com- 
mand of the troops in the south, and all the regulars south of Pennsyl- 
vania were ordered to join him. De Kalb managed to collect about two 
regiments, aud with these moved slowly southward. A lack of provisions 
forced him to halt three weeks on Deep river, one of the upper tributaries 
of the Cape Fear. 

Matters were so bad in the south that Congress resolved to scud 
General Gates, the conqueror of Burgoyne, to take command of the army 
in that quarter. General Charles Lee, who knew that Gates was not 
the man to retrieve such losses, predicted that "his northern laurels 
would soon be changed into southern willows." Gates hastened southward 
and overtook De Kalb at Deep river, and assumed the command. De Kalb 



THE AMERICAN REVOLUTION. 



387 



advised liim to move into South Carolina by a circuitous route tlirough 
the county of Mecklenburg, which was true to the patriot cause, 
and where provisions could be easily obtained. 

Gates declined to take his advice, and marched towards Camden by 
the direct route, 
which led through 
barren and almost 
uninhabited re- 
gion. He was sure 
that his wagons 
from the north 
laden with provis- 
ions would over- 
take the troops in 
two days ; but he 
was mistaken ; the 
wagons did not 
make their appear- 
ance, and the 
troops suffered 
greatly from hiiu- 
ger and disease. 
His army increas- 
ed every day by 
reinfor cements 
from Virginia and 
North Carolina. 
On the thirteenth 
of August he 

reached Clermont, about twelve miles from Camden. His force now 
amounted to nearly four thousand men, nearly two-thirds of whom were 
Continentals. Upon the approach of Gates, Lord Rawdon, the British 
commander in this part of the State, fell back to Camden, where he was 




LORD CORNWALLIS. 



388 THE AMERICAN REVOLUTION. 

joined by Cornwallis, who had just arrived from Charleston, and who 
assumed the command. On the night of the fifteenth, Gates moved 
nearer to Camden, and at the .same time Cornwallis advanced to attack 
Gates, whom he hoped to surprise. The advanced guards encountered 
each other in the woods, and the two armies halted until morning. 

The battle began with dawn, on the sixteenth of August. The militia 
fled at the first charge of the British, but the Continentals, under the 
brave DeKalb, stood firm, though attacked in front and flank. At 
leneth DeKalb fell mortallv wounded, and the Continentals gave way. 
The American army was completely routed, and was broken up into 
small parties and scattered through the country. These continued a 
disorderly retreat, closely followed for about thirty miles by Tarleton's 
cavalry, who cut them down without mercy. 

AMERICAN TROOPS' SUFFERING. 

We must now return to the army under Washington. As the spring 
opened, the sufferings of the troops at Morristown increased. Food was 
so scarce that the troops were driven to desperation. Two regiments of 
Connecticut troops declared their intention to abandon the army and 
march home, or wrest provisions from the people of the surrounding 
country by force. Washington was compelled to exert all his influence 
and authority to restore order. It was with great difficulty that pro- 
visions were procured, and the wants of the troops supplied. The dan- 
ger caused by this state of affairs was so great that Congress author- 
ized Washington to declare martial law. 

The news of these troubles in the American camp induced Knyp- 
hansen to undertake an expedition into New Jersej-. He landed at 
Elizabethtown, with five thousand men on the sixth of June, and marched 
towards Springfield. His advance was warml)' contested by the militia 
of the region, but he penetrated as far as the village of Connecticut 
Farms. Being unable to advance farther he caused the village to be 
sacked and burned ; and Mrs. Caldwell, the wife of the minister of the 
village, was murdered by some of the British troops. The militia of the 



THE AMERICAN REVOLUTION. 



389 



reo"ion, gathered in force and Knyphauseu was obliged to make a hasty 
retreat to Elizabethtowu. 

The mnrder of Mrs. Caldwell aroused the most intense excitement 
throughout New Jersey. It was denounced as one of the most infamous 
deeds of the war, and gave rise to a fierce and general spirit of 




"NOW PUT WATTS INTO THEM, BOYS." 

vengeance. Her husband, an eloquent and highly esteemed minister, 
animated his countrymen by his stirring sermons, and he soon had the 
satisfaction of seeing that his labors were not in vain. 

After the return of Sir Henry Clinton to New York, Washington 
moved a part of his troops towards the Highlands. Knyphausen again 
advanced from Elizabethtowu towards Springfield, hoping to gain 



390 THE AMERICAN REVOLUTON. 

the passes beyoud Morristowu before bis inarcb sbould be discovered. 
His advance was detected, bowever, and General Greene, wbo was in 
command of the American forces, prepared to resist bim. A sbarp 
figbt ensued, in which Greene succeeded in checking the British 
advance. The New Jersej'' regiment, of which Caldwell was chaplain, 
.was engaged in the battle. 

I The wadding^ of the men gave out, and Caldwell, mounting his 
horse, galloped to the Presb3'^terian church, and returned with an armful 
of Dr. Watts' hymn books, which he distributed among the troops, with 
_the pious injunction, " Now put Watts into them, boys !" The militia 
came flocking in to the support of General Greene, and Knyphauscu, 
finding it impossible to advance farther, burned Springfield and fell back 
to Elizabethtown. 

Some weeks later Washington, anxious to strike a decisive blow at 
the enemy, invited the French commanders, De Tiernay and Rocham- 
beau, to meet him at Hartford, to arrange a plan for an attack upon New 
York. The meeting was held, but it was decided to ask the co-operation 
of the French admiral in the West Indies, as the fleet at Newport was 
not strong enough to cope with the British fleet at New York. Until 
the answer of the admiral was received nothing could be done. 

A TRAITORS PLOT. 

While absent at Hartford, a plot was discovered which involved the 
fair name of one of the most brilliant officers of the American ami}-. 
General Benedict Arnold had been disabled bj' the wounds he had received 
at Quebec and Saratoga from undertaking active service, and through 
the influence of Washington had been placed in command of Philadel- 
phia after its evacuation bj' Clinton in 1778. There he lived in a style 
far beyond his means, and became involved in debts, which he was 
unable to pay. To raise the funds to discharge them he engaged in 
privateering and mercantile speculations. These were generally 
unsuccessful, and merely increased his difficulties. His haughty and 
overbearing manner involved him in a cjuarrel with the authorities of 



THE AMERICAN REVOLUTION. 



391 



Pennsylvania, who accused him before Congress of abusing his official 
position and misusing the public funds. 

He was tried by a court-martial and was sentenced to be repri- 
manded by the commander-in-chief. Washington performed this dis- 
agreeable task as delicately as possible, but did not lose his confidence 
in Arnold. He knew him as an able officer, but, as his acquaintance 
with him was limited, 
was most likely ignorant 
of the faults of Arnold's 
character, which were 
well known to the mem- 
bers of Congress from 
Connecticut, who had no 
confidence in him. To 
them he was known to 
be natural!}' dishonest, 
regardless of the rights 
of others, and cruel and 
tyrannical in his dealings 
with those under his au- 
thority. Arnold never 
forgave the disgrace in- 
flicted upon him by the 
sentence of the court 
martial, and cherished henedict Arnold. 

the determination to be revenged upon Washington for the reprimand 
received from him. 

While in Philadelphia, Arnold had married a member of a Tory 
family, and was thus enabled to communicate readily with the British 
officers. He opened a correspondence with Sir Henry Clinton, signing 
himself Gustavus. He kept up this correspondence for several months, 
and then made himself known to the British commander. In the 
meantime, h.e was appointed by Washington, in August, 1780, to the 




392 THE AMERICAN REVOLUTION. 

command of West Point, the strongest and most important fortress in 
America. He did this with the deliberate intention of betraying the 
post into the hands of the enemy. 

The correspondence had been conducted on the part of Sir Henry 
Clinton by Major John Andre of the British army, a ^-oung man of 
amiable character and more than ordinary accomplishments. He wrote 
under the assumed name of John Anderson. He was an especial 
favorite of Sir Henry Clinton, and was beloved b}' the whole army in 
which he served. Soon after the appointment of Arnold to the command 
of West Point, Andre voluntered to go up the Hudson and have an 
interview with him for the purpose of completing the arrangements for 
the betrayal of that fortress. 

A MEETING IN THE DARK. 

His offer was accepted by Clinton, and he ascended the Hudson as 
far as Haverstraw in the sloop of war " Vulture." He was set ashore 
and was met near Haverstraw on the west bank of the Hudson by 
General Arnold, on the twenty-second of September. The meeting took 
place about dark, and the night had passed before the arrangements 
were completed. Much against his will. Andre was compelled to pass 
the next da}- within the American lines. During the twenty-third the 
"Vulture," haWng attracted the attention of the Americans, was fired 
iipon and forced to drop down the river. Andre found the man who had 
set him ashore unwilling to row him back to the sloop, and he was com- 
pelled to return to New York by land. He changed his uniform for a 
citizen's dress, and, provided with a pass from Arnold, under the name 
of John Anderson, set out for New York along the east bank of the river, 
which he deemed safer than the opposite shore. 

All went well until Andre reached the vicinity of Tarrvtown. There 
he was stopped by three young men, John Paulding, David Williams 
and Isaac Van Wart. Thej- asked him his name and destination, and 
he, supposing them to be Tories, did not use the pass given him bv 
Arnold, but frankly avowed himself a British oflB.cer travelling on 



THE AMERICAN REVOLUTION. 393 

iinportaut busiuess. To liis dismay lie then learned that his captors 
were of the patriotic party, and he offered them his watch, purse, and 
any reward they might name if they would suffer him to proceed. They 
refused to allow him to stir a step, and searched his person. Thej^ found 
concealed in his boots, papers giving the plan of West Point, and an 
account of its garrison. 

Andre was taken b}' his captors before Colonel Jamison, the com- 
mander of the nearest American post. Jamison recognized the hand- 
writing as that of Arnold, but, unwilling to believe that his commander 
could be guilty of treason, he detained the prisoner, and wrote to Arnold 
informing him of the arrest of Andre and of the papers found upon his 
person. The papers themselves he forwarded by a special messenger to 
Washington, who was on his return from Hartford. 

ESCAPED DOWN THE RIVER. 

Arnold received Colonel Jamison's letter as he sat at breakfast with 
some of his officers. He concealed his emotion, and excusing himself to 
his guests, called his wife from the room, told her he must flee for his 
life, and hastening to his barge, escaped down the river to the " Vulture," 
and was received on board by the commander of that vessel. From his 
place of safety he wrote to Washington, asking him to protect his wife, 
who, he declared, was innocent of an}- share in his plot. 

When he learned that Arnold was safe, Andre wrote to Washington, 
and confessed the whole plot. He was at once brought to trial upon the 
charge of being within the American lines as a sp3^ The court-martial 
was presided over by General Greene, and Lafayette and Steuben were 
among its members. Andre asserted that he had been indiiced to enter 
the American lines by the misrepresentations of Arnold. 

He denied that he was a sp}', and though cautioned not to say any- 
thing that might criminate himself, he fraukly confessed the whole plot. 
He was sentenced, upon his own confession, to be hanged. Clinton made 
great exertions to save him, and Washington, wliose sympathy was won 
by the amiable character of Andre, was anxious to spare him. The circum- 




894 



ESCAPE OF BENEDICT ARNOLD. 



THE AMERICAN REVOLUTION. 



395 



stances of the case deniauded that the law should be executed, and Andre 
was hanged at Tappan, near the Hudson, on the second of October, 1780. 
Cono-ress voted to each of his three captors a pension of two hundred 
dollars for life and a silver medal. 

The plot of Arnold had been discovered bj- the merest chance, and 
the American cause had 
narrowly escaped a crush- 
ing disaster. The loss of 
West Point would have 
given the British the en- 
tire control of the Hud- 
son, and have enabled 
them to separate New 
England from the Middle 
and Southern States. It 
might have proved fatal 
to the cause, and certain- 
ly would have reduced 
Washington to great ex- 1-' 
tremities. Arnold re- 
ceived for his treachery 
the sum of ten thousand 
pounds sterling and a 
commission as brigadier- 
general in the English MAJOR andr6. 
service. He was regarded with general contempt by the English officers, 
who refused to associate with him, and were greatly averse to serving 
under him. 

The year 1781 opened with a military expedition under the command 
of the traitor Arnold, now a brigadier-general in the British service. 
Early in January he was sent by Sir Henry Clinton, with sixteen hun- 
dred British and Tories, from New York to the Chesapeake to ravage 
the shores of Virginia. After plundering the plantations along the lower 




396 THE AMERICAN REVOLUTION. 

bay aud the James. Arnold ascended tlie river, and landing his troops 
marched to Richmond. Thomas Jefferson, then Governor of Virginia, 
called out the militia, but only a handful responded. Arnold occupied 
Richmond, bnmed the public buildings and some private dwellings, and 
then re-embarked and dropped down the river to Portsmouth. Wash- 
ington was anxious to capture him, aud sent Lafayette with a force of 
twelve hundred men southward by land to prevent Arnold from escap- 
inor overland to ioin Coruwallis in the Caroliuas, and at the same time 
the French fleet sailed from Newport for the Chesapeake to prevent the 
escape of the traitor by water. 

A NAVAL ENGAGEMENT. 

The British Admiral Arbuthnot followed the French fleet and 
brought it to an engagement off the mouth of the Chesapeake. The 
French were worsted aud obliged to return to Newport, and Admiral 
Arbuthnot entered the bay and reinforced Arnold \vith two thousand 
British troops under General Philips, who assumed the command at 
Portsmouth and fortified his position there. From his camp he sent out 
detachments to ravage the country in all directions. Lafayette, in the 
meantime, upon hearing of the failure of the plan, halted in Annapolis, 
in Maryland. Arnold, upon being superseded by Philips, returned to 
New York. 

Earlv in January Comwallis, who was at Winnsborough, South 
Carolina, sent Colonel Tarleton, with a force of one thousand cavalry and 
light infantry, to cut off" Morgan's division from the column under 
General Greene. Morgan was between the Broad and Catawba rivers 
at the time, and upon hearing of Tarleton' s approach began to retreat 
towards the Catawba. Tarleton pushed on with such speed that Morgan 
saw he must be overtaken. He accordingly halted and took position at 
the " Cowpens." about thirty miles west of King's Mountain, and rested 
his men. 

Tarleton arrived in front of this position on the seventeenth of 
Januarv, and made an impetuous attack upon the Americans. At first 



THE AMERICAN REVOLUTION. 397 

lie drove the militia before liini, but Morgan, keeping his Continentals 
well in hand, suddenly wheeled upon him and drove him from the field. 
The two forces were about equal. Morgan lost but eighty men, while the 
loss of the British was over six hundred. Tarleton escaped from the 
field with onl}' a few of his cavalry. 

Cornwallis moved forward as soon as he heard of Tarleton' s defeat. 
He supposed that Morgan would be encumbered with his wounded and 
prisoners and would be slow in leaving the scene of his victor}', and he 
hoped bv a rapid march to come up with him, crush him and rescue the 
prisoners before he could join General Greene. Morgan was much too 
wary to be caught in such a trap. He felt sure Cornwallis would seek 
to avenge Tarleton's defeat, and, leaving his w^ounded under a flag of 
truce, he resumed his retreat with all speed immediatelj^ after the battle, 
and, hurrying toward the Catawba, crossed that river. 

HELD BACK BY HIGH WATER. 

Two hours after he had passed it the advance of Cornwallis' army 
reached the bank of the river, biit, owing to a sudden rise in the stream, 
were unable to cross it. The British were detained in this manner for 
two daj's, during which Morgan rested his men and sent off his prisoners 
to a place of safet}-. 

Two days after the passage of the Catawba, Morgan was joined bj?- 
the troops under General Greene, who had heard of the victory of the 
Cowpens, and was advancing to the assistance of his lieutenant. Greene 
was not yet strong enough to meet the British, and he continued the 
retreat toward the Yadkin. He moved slowly, and his rear giiard was 
still engaged in the passage of the Yadkin when the advance guard of 
Cornwallis reached that stream, on the third of February. Cornwallis 
had burned all his heavy baggage, and had reduced his army to the strictest 
light marching order, in the hope of being able to intercept Greene. 

A skirmish ensued on the banks of the Yadkin, and, night coming 
on, the British commander deferred the passage of the stream until the 
next day. During the night a heavy rain swelled the river so high that 



39S THE AMERICAN REVOLUTION. 

it could not be forded, and the Americans had secured all the boats on 
the other side. Greene, profiting by this delay, hurried on to cross the 
Dan into \'irginia, where he could receive reinforcements and supplies. 
Morgan was left to cover the retreat of the army, but, falling ill, was 
obliged to relinquish the command of the rear guard to Colonel Otho H. 
Williams. 

Comwallis passed the Yadkin as soon as possible and strained even,- 
nen-e to prevent Greene from crossing the Dan. He supposed the 
Americans would not be able to cross at the lower ferries, but would be 
obliged to pass the river higher np where it could be forded. He there- 
fore urged his arm}" to its utmost exertions to secure these fords before 
the arrival of the Americans. Perceiving Cornwallis' error. Colonel 
Williams retreated toward the upper fords, and so confirmed the British 
commander in his delusion. Having led the British sufficiently out of 
the way, Williams wheeled about, and by a rapid march of fort}- miles 
in twenty-fours down the river, rejoined Greene, who had moved with all 
speed to the lower ferries, where, in anticipation of his retreat, he had 
collected a suppl}- of boats. The Dan was passed on the fifteenth of 
February, and the American armv was safe from its pursuers. 

MORTIFIED AT HIS FAILURE. 

An hour or two later Cornwallis, who had discovered his mistake 
and had marched with speed from the upper fords, appeared on the oppo- 
site bank of the river, onh- to see his adversary safelj- bej-ond his reach. 
The river was too deep to be forded, and Greene had all the boats in his 
possession. Comwallis was deeply mortified at his failure to intercept 
Greene. He had pursued him for over two hundred miles,and had made 
great sacrifices to come up with him, but the American commander had 
managed to elude him and had successfully carried out one of the most 
brilliant retreats in histor}-. 

The Americans regarded their escape as providential, and not without 
cause. Their way across the Carolinas might be tracked by the blood from 
their feet ; and t\rice, when the enemy had come within gunshot of them, 



THE AMERICAN REVOLUTION. 



899 



tlie risiug of the waters of the Catawba and the Yadkin, which they had 
passed in safety, had held back the British and enabled them to escape. 
After resting his men for a few da^-s on the banks of the Dan, Cornwallis 
fell back to Hillsborough. 

Washington was well pleased with the achievements in the South of 
his most trusted lieutenant. He was very anxious to attempt something 
\decisive with his own army, if he could secure the aid of a French army 




SURRENDER OF CORNWALLIS. 
and fleet. Two enterprises offered themselves to him — an attack upon 
New York, which had been greatlj' weakened by detachments sent from 
its garrison to the South, and an expedition against Cornwallis. That 
commander had left Wilmington on the twentieth of April, and had 
advanced, without encountering any serious resistance, to Petersburg, 
Virginia. He arrived there on the twentieth of Alay, and was joined by 
the troops under General Philips, who had been been plundering the 
country along the James river. 

The plan of Washington was to blockade Cornwallis in the York 



400 THE AMERICAN REVOLUTION. 

liver by means of tlie Freuch fleet, and at the same time besiege him 
in Yorictoxvn ^vith the army. The siege was begun on the twenty-eighth 
of September, 17S1. Sixteen thousand men were present under Wash- 
ington's orders. Works were erected completely enclosing those of the 
British, and on tlie ninth of October the cannonade was begun. It was 
continued for four days, and the British .)utuorks were greatly damaged, 
and several of their vessels in the river were burned by means of red- 
hot shot thrown into them by the French vessels. On the fourteenth, 
two of the advanced redoubts of the enemy were stormed and taken, cnie 
by the Americans, the other by the French. From the position thus 
gained a very destructive fire was maintained upon the English hues, 
which were broken in many places, while many of their guns were dis- 
mounted and rendered useless. On the fifteenth, Cornwallis found him- 
self almost out of ammunition, and unable to maintain his position but 
for a few days longer. 

In this strait the British commander resolved upon the desperate 
alternative of crossing the York to Gloucester, abandoning his sick and 
wounded, and baggage, and endeavoring to force his way northward by 
extraordinary marches to New York. It was a hopeless undertaking, 
but Cornwallis resolved to make the trial. On the night of the sixteenth 
of October he crossed a part of his army from Yorktown to Gloucester, 
but a sudden storm delayed the passage of the river. 

He sent to Washington an offer to surrender, and the terms were 
soon arranged. On the nineteenth of October, Cornwallis surrendered 
his army of seven thousand men as prisoners of war to Washington, as 
commander of the allied army, and his shipping, seamen and naval 
stores to the Count de Grasse, as the representative of the king of France. 
This ended the war, and the attempt of Great Britain to subjugate the 
American colonies. 



FROM THE REVOLUTION 
TO THE CjVIL WAR. 

THE great war was uow over, and the republic took its place in the family 
of nations; but it was terribly weakened by its efforts. Its finances 
were in the most pitiful condition, and it had not the money to pay 
the troops it was about to disband, who were really suffering for food 
and clothing. Considerable trouble arose on this account, but Wash- 
ington succeeded in effecting an arrangement to the satisfaction of the 
soldiers. The army was disbanded soon after the close of the war, 
and on the 23d of December, 1783, Washington resigned his commission 
and retired to his home at Mount Vernon, Virginia. 

It was found that the articles of confederation were inadequate to 
the necessities of the republic, and after much discussion a new constitu- 
tion was framed by a federal convention at Philadelphia, in 1787, and 
was adopted by the States. It went into operation on the 4th of March, 
1789, the city of New York having been designated as the seat of the 
national government. 

Washington was unanimously chosen the first President of the 
United States, and John Adams vice-president. They went into oflSceon 
the 30th of April, 17S9. The first measures of Washington's administra- 
tion greatly restored the confidence of the people in the government. 
Alexander Hamilton, the secretary of the treasury, inaugurated a series 
of reforms, which were eminently beneficial. 

The debts of the old confederated government and of the States 
themselves were all assumed by the United States; a bank of the United 
States (which went into operation in February, 1794) was incorporated, 
and a national mint was established at Philadelphia. An Indian war in 
the West was prosecuted to a successful termination, and the neutrality 
of the republic with regard to the parties engaged in the wars springing 
out of the French revolution was faithfully maintained. 

26 401 



402 FROM THK REVOLUTION TO THK CIVIL WAR. 

Washington and Adams were re-elected in 1792. The French repnb- 
lic made great eflforts to embroil the United States in a war with England, 
bnt they were met with firmness by Washington, who demanded the 
recall of M. Genet, the French Minister. His demand was complied with 
by F'rance. In 1794 a treaty was negotiated with England, in settlement 
of the qnestions left unsettled by the revolntion. 

In 1792 a formidable ontbreak, in opposition to the excise law, known 
as the whisky insurrection occurred in Western Pennsylvania. It was 
suppressed by the Federal government in 1794. Three new States were 
admitted into the Union during Washington's administration : Vermont, 
in 1 791 ; Kentucky, in 1792 ; and Tennessee, in 1796. 

WASHINGTON'S •• FAREWELL ADDRESS." 

Washington was urgent]}- importuned to be a candidate for a third 
presidential term, but declined a re-election, although it was certain there 
would be no opposition to him. His action in this respect has become 
the settled polic}^ of the government. In September, 1796, he issued a 
" Farewell Address " to his countrymen, warning them of the dangers to 
which their new system was exposed, and urging them to adhere firmly 
to the principles of the constitution as their only hope of liberty and 
happiness. 

The third presidential election occurred in 1796, and was marked 
by a display of bitterness between the opposing parties never surpassed 
in the subsequent political history of the country. It resulted in the 
election of John Adams, the federalist candidate, to the presidency. 

Thomas Jefferson, liaviug received the next highest number of 
votes, was declared elected vice-president, in accordance with tlie law as 
it then stood. President Adams was opposed, with great bitterness, by 
his political enemies during his whole term. The president convened 
Congress in extra session on the 15th of May, 1797, to consider the 
relations of this country with France. 

The French Director}' had for some time been pursuing a systematic 
course of outrage upon American ships and citizens, and had carried 



t 



FROM THE REVOLUTION TO THE CIVIL WAR. 403 

these outrages to an extent which left little doubt of its determination 
to ruin the commerce of this country. Three envoys were sent to France 
by President Adams to attempt a peaceful settlement of the quarrel. 
The Directory refused to receive them, but they were given to understand 
that the pa3nuent of a large sum of money by their government would 
greatly assist the settlement of the matter. The commissioners refused to 
entertain such a demand, and were ordered to quit the country. Great 
indignation prevailed throughout the United States when these insults 
to the American commissioners became known. 

PROMPT MEASURES OF OUR GOVERNMENT. 

The government took prompt measures to raise an army and navy 
adequate to the struggle which seemed imminent. Washington was 
appointed commander-in-chief of the army, with the rank of lieutenant- 
general ; and hostilities actually began at sea, where the cruisers of the 
United States won several brilliant victories over French ships-of-war. 

The energy and determination thus manifested by the United States 
had a happy effect in bringing about a settlement of the quarrel. 
Napoleon became First Consul of France; negotiations were reopened, 
and a treat}' of peace between the two countries was definitely concluded 
on the 30th of September, 1800. 

During the existence of hostilities with France two laws were enacted 
by Congress, which are generally knowij as the "alien and sedition 
laws." They empowered the president to send cut of the country such 
foreigners as should be found conspiring against the peace and safety of 
the republic, and restricted the liberty of speech and of the press enjoyed 
by the people. 

These la\vs were very unpopular, and brought about the over- 
whelming defeat of the federalist party, by which they were enacted. 
During President Adams' term the seat of government was removed 
to Washington, District of Columbia, in 1800. 

In the fourth contest for the presidency the votes of the republican 
party were equally divided between Thomas Jefferson and Aaron Burr 



404 FROM THE REVOLUTION TO THE CIVH. WAR. 

each of wliuni received seventy-tLree votes. Tliis threw the election into 
the house of representatives, where Jefferson was cliosen president, and 
Bnrr vice-president. This circumstance also occasioned an amendment 
to the coustitntion (adopted finally in 1804), requiring the electors to vote 
separately, as at present, for president and vice-president. 

PRESIDENT THOMAS JEFFERSON. 

Mr. Jefferson was inaugurated on the 4th of March, 1801. His first 
term was marked by wisdom and vigor. The domestic affairs of the 
nation prospered, and the finances were managed in a masterly manner 
bj^ Albert Gallatin, the secretarj- of the treasur}-. The insolence and 
the piracies of the Barbar}^ States of Africa were punished by a naval 
expedition to the Mediterranean. 

The principal event of this term was the purchase from France, and 
the annexation to the domain of the republic, in 1S03, of the vast terri- 
tory of Louisiana, out of which have been formed the states of Louisiana, 
Arkansas, ^lissouri, Iowa, Minnesota, Kansas, Nebraska, Colorado, North 
and South Dakotah, Wyoming, Montana, and part of Idaho. 

Li 1804 Mr. Jefferson was re-elected to the presidenc}% receiving 
every electoral vote but fourteen. Burr was succeeded in the vice- 
presidenc}- b}' George Clinton. He was then defeated for Governor of 
New York, chiefly through the influence of Alexander Hamilton, whom 
he challenged, and shot in a duel on the nth of July, 1804. In 1806 Burr 
was arrested and tried for a supposed attempt to separate the Western 
States from the Union. He was acquitted of the charge, and his innocence 
is now generally admitted. 

American commerce was much injured by the retaliatory decrees and 
orders in council of the French and British governments, under the 
authority of which American ships were seized and confiscated, in utter 
defiance of the rights of nejitrals. Great Britain gave additional cause 
of offence by asserting a right to impress American seamen into her 
navy, and to stop American vessels on the high seas and search them 
for deserters from her ships-of-war. These searches were generallj- con- 



FROM THE REVOLUTION TO THE CIVIL WAR. 



405 



ducted in the most aggravating manner, and hundreds of American 
sailors, owing no allegiance to King George, were forced into the British 
service. In June, 1807, the American frigate " Chesapeake," on her way 
to the Mediterranean, was stopped off the Chesapeake bay by the British 




OFFICERS OF THE CHESAPEAKE SURREMDERING THEIR SWORDS. 

frigate "Leopard," whose commander produced an order from the British 
admiral requiring him to search for deserters. 

The American vessel refused to submit to the search, and was fired 
into by the " Lsopard," and being in a helpless condition, was forced to 
strike her colors, with a loss of twenty-one of her crew. Four m;n were 
taken from her and sent on board the " Leopard." Three of these were 
afterwards proved to be native-born Americans. When the attack was 
made the "Chesapeake" was quite unprepared for resistance, and Com- 



lOfi FROM THE RKVOLUTION TO THE CIVIL WAR 

modore Barron, believing it would be only a waste of life to attempt to 
cope with his adversarj', struck his colors after a single gun had been 
fired. As already stated, the four men were taken from the " Chesa- 
peake," the "Leopard" sailed for Halifax, and the American frigate 
returned to Norfolk. Our government blamed the commander of the 
"Chesapeake" for making so feeble a resistance and he was suspended 
for several years. It was plain that the men on board his ship were 
chagrined at the surrender. 

OUTRAGE THAT CREATED INDIGNATION. 

This outrage aroused a feeling of the most intense indignat on 
throughout the United States, and the fedral government demanded 
reparation of England, which was evaded at the time, but was finally 
made in iSii. 

On the nth of November, 1807, England issued an order in council, 
forbidding neutral vessels to enter the ports of France until thev had first 
touched at a British port and paid a duty ; and the next month Napoleon 
replied to this b}' a decree dated at Milan, ordering the confiscation of 
every vessel w^hich should submit to be searched by or pay anj' duties to 
the British authorities. These two piratical acts, each of which was sup- 
ported by arbitrary power, meant simph^ the destruction of all neutral com- 
merce, and that of America in particular. 

In December, 1S07, Mr. Jefferson advised Congress to laj' an embar- 
go, detaining all vessels, American and foreign, in the ports of the United 
States, and to order the immediate return home of all American vessels 
abroad. This measure, which was a most singular expedient, was 
adopted, and gave rise to such intense dissatisfaction and heav}- loss that 
it was repealed in February, 1809. 

At the elections in 1S08, James Madison of Virginia, the democratic 
candidate, was chosen president, Mr. Jefferson having refused a third 
term. Mr. Madison was inaugurated o:i the 4th of March, 1S09. The 
measures of Mr. Jefferson's second term, and especially the embargo, had 
given rise to considerable opposition to the democracj% and this opposition 



FROM THE REVOLUTION TO THE CIVIL WAR. I()7 

was now directed against tlie new administration with no little bitterness, 
and followed it persistently until its withdrawal from power. 

Great Britain, instead of discontinuing her outrages upon American 
seamen and commerce, increased them, and steadily disregarded the 
protests and representations of the United States. In March, iSoS, 
Congress passed an act prohibiting all commercial intercourse between 
the United States and Great Britain and France. Napoleon met this 
act by an offer to withdraw the restrictions he had placed upon neutral 
commerce if Bngland would do likewise ; but England would give no 
such pledge. In iSii the French emperor fulfilled his promise, and the 
United States withdrew the prohibition of trade with France. 

WAR DECLARED AGAINST GREAT BRITAIN. 

England, however, refused to withdraw her orders in council until 
it was too late, and the federal government, having exhausted all peace- 
ful means of redress, was driven to obtain it by the sword. On the 3d 
of June, 18 1 2, the United States declared war against Great Britain. 
Congress authorized the President to increase the regular army to 25,000 
men, and to call for 50,000 volunteers. The call was responded to 
promptly in some of the States, tardily in others, for the country was far 
from being united in support of the war. 

Hostilities began in the northwest. Previous to the war the Indians 
of that region, instigated by British emissaries, attacked the frontier 
settlements under the leadership of the famous Shawnee chief Tecumseh. 
General Harrison (afterwards president), the Governor of the Territory 
of Indiana, as soon as he learned of this, organized a considerable force 
of western militia, and inarched against the savages, whom he defeated 
with terrible loss in a sanguinary battle at Tippecanoe, on the banks of 
the Wabash river, on the 7th of November, 181 1. Though defeated in 
this battle, Tecumseh was not conquered. 

He passed the next six months in reorganizing his forces, and with 
the beginning of the summer of 1812 renewed hostilities. General Hull, 
the Governor of Michigan, was sent against him with a force of 2,000 



408 



FROM THE REVOLUTION TO THE CIVIL WAR. 



men. He had just begun his march when war was declared against 
England. Hull was then ordered to discontinue his expedition against 
the Indians and take part in the contemplated invasion of Canada. His 
force was too weak even to hold its position at Detroit, but no reinforce- 
ments could be sent him. 

General Brock, with a superior force, advanced against Detroit, and 
ou the i6th of August, 1S12, Hull surrendered the town and his forces 




THE "WASl"' BOARDING THF. "FROLIC." 

to the British Avithout striking a blow. This placed the whole Michigan 
frontier in the hands of the British. An invasion of Canada from the 
Niagara frontier was undertaken by the American forces in the autumn 
of 1812, but resulted in a most disastrous failure. 

These defeats on laud were partly atoned for b}' the successes of 
ihe American navy at sea. The navy had been utterl}- neglected by 
the government previous to the war, and consisted of but a small squad- 
ron of frigates and other vessels. These were generally of an excellent 
character, however, and were manned by ofl&cers and crews of skill and 



FROM THE REVOLUTION TO THK CIVIL WAR. 409 

valor. On tlie igtli of August, 1812, the frigate " Constitution," Cap- 
tain Hull, captured the English frigate " Guerriere," reducing the latter 
to a total wreck. 

This was the first time in half a century that an English ship-of-war 
had struck her flag to a vessel of equal force. On the i8th of October, 
the sloop-of-war " Wasp," Captain Jones, captured the British brig 
"Frolic." On the 25th of October, the frigate "United States," captured 
the British frigate "Macedonian;" and on the 29th of December, the 
"Constitution," Captain Bainbridge, captured the British frigate "Java." 
Privateers went to sea in great numbers during the year, and by the 
close of 181 2 had captured over 300 English merchant vessels. 

MANY ENGAGEMENTS \A^ITH THE ENEMY. 

The American government renewed its efforts to conquer Canada in 
1813. An army, under General Harrison, was collected near the head of 
Lake Erie, and was styled the x^rmy of the West ; an Army of the 
Centre, under General Dearborn, was stationed along the Niagara 
frontier ; and an Army of the North, under General Wade Hampton, 
was posted in northern New York, on the border of Lake Champlain. 
There were numerous engagements between these forces and the enemy, 
but nothing definite was accomplished during the first half year. 

In April, General Pike, with a force of 1,700 men, captured York 
(now Toronto), the capital of Upper Canada, but was himself killed by 
the explosion of a mine fired by the enemy. The town was not held, 
however, and the success of the attack was fully balanced b}- a terrible 
disaster which befell the western army at the river Raisin, in January, 
in which a detachment of 800 men, under General Winchester, was 
defeated and massacred by the British and Indians (the latter of whom 
were now the open allies of the British), under General Proctor. 

In May, the British made an attack on Sackett's Harbor, on Lake 
Ontario, but were repulsed. In the same month an American force, 
under General Boyd and Colonel Miller, captured Fort George, in 
Canada, inflicting upon the British a loss of nearly 1000 men. Nothing 



410 FROM THE REVOLUTION TO THE CIVIL WAR. 

definite was accomplished on the Niagara frontier, owing to the qnarrels 
between Generals Wilkinson and Hampton ; and the grand invasion of 
Canada, from which so much had been expected, never took place. The 
year was not to close without some compensating success for the Ameri- 
cans. The British held Lake Erie with an armed squadron, which by 
its presence greatly hampered the operations of the western army under 
General Harrison. Lieutenant Oliver H. Perry, of the United States 
navy, volunteered to recover the lake, and caused to be built a squadron 
of vessels inferior in size and armament to the English fleet. 

GALLANT DEEDS OF OUR ARMY AND NAVY. 

On the loth of September, 1813, he attacked the enemy's squadron 
near the upper end of Lake Erie, and defeated and destroyed it. This 
victory won back Lake Erie and the shores of Ohio and Michigan for 
the Americans. It was followed by the advance of the western army 
into Canada. On the 6th of October General Harrison attacked the 
British and Indians, under Proctor and Tecumseh, and routed them in 
the battle of the Thames. Tecumseh was slain, and Proctor was saved 
only b}' the speed of his horse. 

At sea this year the American brig " Hornet," Captain Lawrence, 
captured the " Peacock," on the 24th of Februar}-. Captain Lawrence 
having been placed in command of the frigate " Chesapeake," engaged 
the British frigate "Shannon," off Boston, on the ist of June. Lawrence 
was killed and the "Chesapeake" was captured. On the 5th of Septem- 
ber the American brig " Enterprise," Lieutenant Burrows, captured the 
British brig " Boxer," Lieutenant Bh'the. Both commanders were killed 
in the fight. 

The campaign of 1S14 was more important. The war in Europe 
having closed, large numbers of Wellington's veteran troops were sent 
over to America. They reached this country during the latter part ot 
the year. On the fifth of July the American army under General 
Brown defeated the British at Chippewa. On the twenty -fifth of the 
same month General Brown won a second victory over the British at 



FROM THE REVOLUTION TO THE CIVIL WAR. 411 

Lnndv's Lane, or Bridgewater. Towards the close of the summer Sir 
George Prevost, the British commander in Canada, having been rein- 
forced from Wellington's army, invaded the State of New York at the 
head of 14,000 men. He was accompanied b^^ a fleet of considerable 
strength, which moved tip Lake Champlaiu. 

He was met at Plattsburgh on the 3d of September by a small 
American force nnder General Macomb, which disputed his passage of 
the Saranac. At the same time an American squadron under Commo- 
dore MacDonough engaged the British fleet at the entrance to Platts- 
burgh bay, and routed it with the loss of every vessel except a few 
gunboats, which escaped. The American army repulsed every effort of he 
British to pass the Saranac, and Sir George Prevost, disheartened by his 
double disaster, retreated into Canada, having lost his fleet and 2,500 
of his troops. Thus ended his ill-fated expedition. 

BRITISH FLEET IN CHESAPEAKE BAY. 

In the summer of 1814 a British fleet under Admirals Cockburn md 
Warren ravaged the shores of the Chesapeake bay, committing the m st 
horrible barbarities upon the helpless people. In August, these vess> Is 
landed a force of several thousand British troops under General Ross, at 
Benedict, on the Patuxent. Ross at once advanced upon the city of 
Washington, which was defenceless, and on the 24th of August defea ed 
a small force of American militia which sought to bar his way at 
Bladensburg. He then resumedhis advance and occupied Washington' hat 
evening, the federal government having withdrawn from the city. He 
burned the capital, the president's house, the navy yard, and sever?' of 
the buildings occupied by the executive departments of the govemn nt, 
and retreated to the Patuxent, and re-embarked on his ships. 

" Few more shameful acts are recorded in our history," say an 
P-^nglish writer of note, " and it was the more shameful in that it was 
done under strict orders from the government at home." General voss 
then ascended the Chesapeake to Baltimore, and landed his tro( ps at 
North Point, near that city, while the fleet made a sharp attack upon 




PERRY'S VICTORY ON LAKE ERIE. 



412 



FROM THE REVOLUTION TO THE CIVIL WAR. 413 

Fort McHenr}', which guarded the entrance to the harbor. The fleet 
was repulsed by the fort, and Ross was killed in a skirmish near North 
Point on the twelfth of September. His successor at once re-embarked 
the army, and abandoned the effort against Baltimore. 

At sea during 1814 the American frigates " Essex " and " President" 
were captured by superior forces of the enemy, while the British sloops- 
of-war "Epervier," "Avon," "Reindeer," " Cyane," "Levant," and 
"Penguin" were captured by American cruisers. 

During the remainder of the year 1814 nothing of importance 
occurred. On the eighth of January, 1S15, a British force of 12,000 
of Wellington's veteran troops attacked the city of New Orleans, but 
were defeated with the loss of their commander and 2000 men, by 5000 
Americans under General Jackson. This battle was fought after a treaty 
of peace between the United States and Great Britain had been signed 
in Europe, but before the news had reached America. 

A VICTORY OF GREAT IMPORTANCE. 

The victory was most important to the Americans, for had the 
result been different, there can be little doubt that England would have 
disregarded the treaty, and have clung to a conquest which would have 
given her the control of the mouth of the Mississippi. In such an event 
either the war would have been renewed, or the destinj^ of the great 
West would have been marred forever. 

The restoration of peace in Europe upon the downfall of Napoleon 
removed many of the vexatious issues that had produced the war, and 
disposed the British government to be just in its dealings with America. 

Negotiations for peace were begun in the summer of 1814, and a 
treaty of peace was finall}^ signed at Ghent, on the twenty-fourth of 
December, 1814. By the terms of the treaty the two governments agreed 
upon a settlement of the boundary between the United States and 
Canada, and to mutually restore all territory taken during the war, and 
arranged some minor details respecting their future intercourse, but 
nothing was said of the impressment of American seamen, the chief 




414 



FROM THK RKVOLUTION TO THE CIVIL WAR. 415 

cause of the war. Inasmuch, however, as Great Britain has never since 
then attempted such outrages, this question also may be regarded as 
having been settled by this war. 

During the struggle with England the pirate states of northern 
Africa — Tripoli, Tunis, and Algiers — had resumed their outrages iipon 
American commerce. In the spring of 1815 a strong naval expedition 
under Commodore Decatur was sent to the Mediterranean, and forced 
these states to make indemnity for their piracies, and to pledge them- 
selves to cease to molest American vessels in future. 

TRYING TO REMEDY GRIEVOUS EVILS. 

The federalist party had from the first opposed the war with 
England, and during its continuance had given it no aid save what was 
forced from them by the laws. The strength of this part}' lay in the 
New England States, where the losses of the war fell heaviest. To 
remed}- the evils which the federalists declared the government had 
recklessly brought upon the country, a convention was held at Hartford, 
Connecticut, in 18 14. 

This body recommended certain measures to the legislatures of the 
Eastern States, limiting the power of the general government over the 
militia of the States, and proposed several amendments to the federal 
constitution. The news of the treaty of peace put a stop to all further 
proceedings of the convention, which resulted in nothing but the 
destruction of the federalist party, which came to be regarded by the 
people at large as having been untrue to the republic in its hour of 
need. 

Mr. Madison was re-elected president in 18 12, and had the satisfac- 
tion of conducting the war which had been begun during his adminis- 
tration to a siiccessful close. He declined to be a candidate for a ihird 
term, and James Monroe, of \'irginia, was nominated by the democratic 
party, and elected by a large majority in 1816. Mr. Monroe had been 
secretary of state during the greater part of Mr. Madison's adminis- 
tration. 



416 FROM THE REVOLUTION TO THE CIVIL WAR. 

The return of peace found the country burdened with a debt 
$80,000,000, and with almost a total absence of specie in its mercantile 
transactions, the majority of the banks having suspended the paymeul 
of gold and silver during the war. In 181 7 Congress, to relieve thJ 
general distress, established a bank of the United States at Philadelphia 
with a charter for twenty years and a capital of $35,000,000. The note 
of this institution supplied the demand for a circulating medium 
uniform value throughout the country, and did much to relieve tl 
financial distress of the period. 

Two new States were added to the Union during Mr. Madison'j 
administration — Louisiana in 1812, and Indiana in 1816. 

ADMINISTRATION OF PRESIDENT MONROE. 

Mr. Monroe was inaugurated in March, 181 7. He had been exceec 
ingly popular as secretary of state, and the good will of the peoplj 
followed him into the presidential chair. His administration proved 
so acceptable to all parties that he was re-elected in 1S20 by every ele<; 
toral vote but one. Five new states were admitted into the Union durinj 
his presidency. They were Mississippi in 1817, Illinois in 1818, Ala 
bama in 1819, Maine in 1820, and Alissouri in 1S21. 

For some years the opposition to African slavery- in America haJ 
been spreading through the Northern States, and had been steadil] 
gathering strength. When the territory of Missouri presented its peti- 
tion to Congress in 1820 for admission into the Union as a State with a 
constitution sanctioning slavery, there was a very general determination 
on the part of the free states to oppose the admission of another slave- 
holding state. The southern members of the confederac)', on the other 
hand, insisted upon the right of Missouri to choose its own institutions, 
and threatened to withdraw from the Union if this right was denied her 
by excluding her from the Union. 

A bitter contest with regard to the subject of slavery now developed 
itself between the two sections of the Union, and continued from this 
time until it culminated in the civil war. The country was agitated in 



FROM THE REVOLUTION TO THE CIVIL WAR. 



417 



everj' portion, and the best men of the land expressed the fear that the 
Union would be torn in pieces by the violence of the contending parties. 
Henry Clay succeeded in procuring the passage of a series of measures 
known as the Missouri Compromise. Slavery was forever prohibited in 
that portion of the republic lying north of 36° 30' N. latitude, and Mis- 
souri was subsequently admitted with her slaveholding constitution. 
The compromise was regarded as a final settlement of the slavery qiies- 
tion, and secured about thirty 
years of quiet and repose for 
the country. 

During Mr. Monroe's presi- 
dency the Spanish colonies in 
North and South America de- 
clared their independence of 
Spain, and successfully main- 
tained it for several years. 
In 1 82 2 they were recognized 
by the United States. In his 
annual message to Congress in 
1823, Mr. Monroe gave utter- 
ance to the followingprinciple, 
which has since been distinctly 
recognized by his successors as 
the unwavering policy of the 
United States : "That as a principle the American continents, by the 
free and independent position which they have assumed and main- 
tained, are henceforth not to be considered as subjects of future coloni- 
zation by an}- European power." This declaration is commonly known 
as the " Monroe Doctrine." 

Mr. Monroe declined to be a candidate for re-election in 1824. 
There was no choice b}^ the popular vote this year, and the election 
passed into the House of Representatives, b}^ which John Ouincy 
Adams, of Massachusetts, was chosen president. He was inaugurated 

27 




HEXkY CLAY. 



418 



FROM THK RKVOLUTIOX TO THK CIVIL WAR. 



on ill!.' .fth of March, 1S25. '^^^'^ principal event of this administration 
was the adoption of a hi^h tariff for the purpose of protecting American 
manufactures from the competition of foreii.^n importations. This act 
was sustained b\- the northern people, who were engaged in manufac- 
tures, and for whose bsnefit it was adopted ; but was bitterly denounced 
by the South, which, being an agricultural section, naturally desired 
the liberty of bu3dng her goods where they could be procured best and 

cheapest. The division of sen- 
timent thus produced grew 
more distinct ever\- da}-, and 
brought about considerable 
trouble in the end. 

One of Air. Adams' strongest 
supporters was Daniel Web- 
ster, whose powerful advocacv 
of the measures proposed b\- 
the administration revealed his 
superb intellectual and oratori- 
cal gifts. 

In 1S2S Andrew Jackson, of 
"i^^^^^^^^g^^^^g^p^ Tennessee, was elected president 

bv the votes of the democratic 




DANIEL WEBSTER. 



party. He was inaugurated 



on the 4th of March, 1829, '^"^ 
began liis career by advising Congress, in his annual message, not 
to continue the Bank of the United States, the directors of which 
sought a renewal of its charter. He declared the law creating 
the bank unconstitutional. This message inaugurated a long and ^ 
bitter contest between the administration and the friends of the bank, 
the latter party embracing almost the entire mercantile community. 
In 1832 Congress passed a bill renewing the charter of the bank ; it was 
vetoed by the President, and an effort to pass it over his veto failed. 
The charter of the bank therefore expired by law in 1S36. 



I 



FROM THE REVOLUTION TO THE CIVH. WAR. 



419 



The tariff question assumed formidable proportions during this 
administration. In 1832 Congress increased the rate of duties. South 
Carolina at once declared her intention to resist the efforts of the govern- 
ment to collect the increased duties in her ports, and prepared to maintain 
her position by force of arms. The great leader of this opposition to the 
government, which was known as the "Nullification Movement," was 
John C. Calhoun, who had a short time previous resigned the vice- 
presidency of the United States 
to become a senator from South 
Carolina. His principal coad- 
jutors were Robert Y. Hayne, 
senator from South Carolina, 
and George McDuffie, the Gov- 
ernor of the State. The party 
of which these brilliant men 
were the leaders declared that a 
state might nullify any law of 
Congress which it believed to 
be unconstitutional. 

The danger to the country 
was very great, and it seemed 
that open war would ensue 
between the federal govern- 
ment and South Carolina ; for JOHN C. CALHOUN. 
President Jackson, who had been re-elected in 1832, declared his 
determination to enforce the law, and to treat the action of South Carolina 
as treason. He sent a ship of war to Charleston harbor, ordered General 
Scott to proceed to that port with all the available troops under his com- 
mand, and issued a proclamation denying the right of a state to nullify 
the laws of Congress, and warning all persons engaged in sustaining the 
action of South Carolina in its unlawful course that they would be held 
liable to prosecution under the laws for the crime of treason. 

The bank question came up again, just as the nullification excite- 




420 



FROM THE REVOLUTION TO THE CIVIL WAR. 




--=' 'mm •-'.''^"'^Am 



ment died out. The law of Congress required the public funds to be 
deposited in the bank of the United States, the charter of which was 
about to expire bj^ limitation. The president, in December, 1832, recom- 
mended the removal of these funds b}' Act of Congress, but that body 
refused to take this step. The president then ordered the secretary 
of the treasury, Mr. McLane, to remove the funds and deposit them in 
specified State banks. Mr. McLane refused to do so, and was transferred 
to the State Department, which was then vacant. 

\Vm. J. Duane was then ap- 
pointed secretary of the treas- 
ury-, but he, too, refused to 
remove the funds, and was 
promptl}' deprived of his office, 
which was conferred upon Roger 
B. Taney, who executed the 
president's order, and transferred 
the funds to the banks desig- 
nated by the executive. This 
was a severe blow to the bank 
of the United States, and was fol- 
lowed by a great stringency in 
financial circles. The presi- 
dent lost many friends, and was 
The Senate bv a vote of 26 yeas 



PROFESSOR N'ORSE. 

denounced throughout the country, 
to 10 noes passed a resolution censuring his course. He was sustained 
by the House of Representatives, whose indorsement, considering the 
origin of that body, was more important than the censure of the Senate. 
In March, 1837, the Senate did justice to the president's motives, and 
expunged its resolution of censure from its journal. 

In 1832, Samuel F. B. Morse, a native of Massachusetts, invented 
the electric telegraph. He spent some 3'ears in perfecting his invention, 
and in 1S3S applied to Congress for a small appropriation to assist him 
in building a line of wire to demonstrate the usefulness of his discovery. 



FROM THE REVOLUTION TO THE CIVIL WAR. 421 

He was obliged to wait five years for a favorable answer, and it was not 
until lie had given up all liope of receiving aid from Congress that that 
body, on the last day of the session of 1843, appropriated the sum of 
thirty thousand dollars to construct a telegraph line between Washing- 
ton City and Baltimore, a distance of forty miles. The line was com- 
pleted in 1844. 

During President Jackson's administration the national debt was 
paid. The State of Arkansas was admitted into the Union in 1S36, and 
was followed by Michigan in 1837. The governments of France, Spain, 
Naples, Portugal and Holland were compelled to pay fair indemnities for 
their spoliation of American commerce during the wars of Napoleon, and 
important commercial treaties were negotiated with foreign countries. 
The Seminole Indians of Florida resisted the efforts of the government 
to remove them to reservations west of the Mississippi, and a war ensued 
with them, which lasted until 1842, and cost $40,000,000. 

PRESIDENTS VAN BUREN AND HARRISON. 

In 1836, Martin Van Buren, of New York, the candidate of the 
democratic party, was elected president. He was inaugurated in March, 
1837, and his administration had scarcely begun when the country was 
plunged into the severe financial crisis of 1837. The troubles resulting 
from this disaster lasted throughout his whole term of office, and the 
principal measures of his administration were designed to remedy them. 
The most important of these measures was the establishment of the 
sub-treasury of the United States, the wisdom of which has been amply 
demonstrated by its successful operation since that period. 

In 1840, William Henry Harrison, of Ohio, the candidate of the 
whig party, was elected president. He was inaugurated in March, 
1841, but was taken sick almost immediately afterwards, and died on 
the 4th of April. By the terms of the constitution John Tyler, of 
Virginia, the vice-president, became president. The whigs were in 
favor of a national bank, and Congress passed several acts chartering 
such an institution, all of which were vetoed by the president, whose 



422 FROM THE REVOLUTION TO THE CIVIL WAR. 

views upon the subject accorded with those of the democratic party 
rather than with the whigs. In consequence of these acts, he was aban- 
doned by the party which elected him, and was supported by the democ- 
racy, with which he thenceforth identified himself. 

During Mr. Tyler's term the question of the northwestern boundary 
between the United States and British America was settled by a treaty 
with Great Britain, which was ratified by the Senate on the 20th of 
August, 1S42. During this administration, also, the republic of Texas, 
which had won its independence from Mexico, was annexed to the 
United States as a state of the Union. The annexation was opposed 
by the whig party and by the northern states in general, which regarded 
it as an effort to extend the area of negro slavery. Texas was admitted 
into the Union on the ist of March, 1845. ^^'^ Tyler's last official act 
was to approve the bill for the admission of the states of Iowa and 
Florida into the Union on the 3d of March, 1845. 

TRIUMPH OF THE DEMOCRATIC PARTY. 

In 1S44, James K. Polk, of Tennessee, was elected president. This 
was a democratic triumph. He was inaugurated on the 4th of March, 
1S45. Mr. Polk found the country involved in a dispute with Mexico 
respecting the boundary of Texas. This dispute resulted in war between 
the United States and Mexico, the latter country' proving the aggressor. 
Hostilities began on the Rio Grande between the army of General 
Taylor and the Mexican army of General Arista, in April, 1846. 
General Taylor defeated the Mexicans at Palo Alto, on the 8th of May, 
1846, and again at Resaca de la Palma, the next day. On being rein- 
forced, he crossed the Rio Grande, and drove the Mexicans into the 
interior of their countr}^ capturing their strong city of Montere)', in 
September, 1846, and defeating their best army under President Santa 
Anna himself at Buena Vista, on the 23d of February, 1847. 

Another army, under General Wiufield Scott, was directed against 
Vera Cruz and the City of Mexico, and troops were dra\vn from Taylor's 
army in the spring of 1847 to reinforce it. This brought Taylor's opera- 



FROM THE REVOLUTION TO THE CIVIL WAR. 



423 



tions to a close. Scott landed his forces near Vera Cruz on the Qtli of 
March, 1847, and captured it, after a vigorous siege, on the 29th. 
Moving into the interior, on the direct road to the capital, he defeated 
the enemy in a series of hard-fought battles, at Cerro Gordo, on the iSth 
of April ; Contreras and Churubusco, on the 20th of August ; Molino 
del Rey, on the 8th of September, and Chapultepec, on the 12th of Sep- 
tember. On the 14th of September, 
1847, he entered the City of Mexico 
in triumph, and held it until the 
close of the war. 

In 1846, General Stephen Kearney 
conquered New IMexico, while 
Commodore Stockton and Colonel 
Fremont drove the Mexicans out of 
California and occupied that prov- 
ince. Kearney marched from New 
Mexico into California, arriving there 
in January, 1847 ; and on the Sth 
of February assumed the office of 
governor, and proclaimed the annexa- 
tion of California to the United 
States. About the same time Colonel 
Doniphan, with 1000 Missouri vol- 
unteers, made a forced march across 
the plains, and on the 28th of Feb- 
ruary defeated a force of 4000 Mexi- 
cans, and captured the important city of Chihuahua. He then contin- 
ued his march to Monterey and the Rio Grande. 

A treaty of peace between the United States and the Mexican 
republic was signed at Guadaloupe-Hidalgo, on the 2nd of February, 
1848. Mexico yielded the boundary of the Rio Grande, and ceded 
California and New Mexico to the United States, and the latter power 
agreed to pay Mexico for the territory taken from her the sum of 




k 



424 FLOM THE REVOLUTION TO THE CIVIL WAR. 

$15,000,000, aud to assume the debts due b}- Mexico to American 
citizens, to the amount of $3,750,000. 

Great Britain claimed the territory of Oregon as a part of British 
America, and the federal government insisted that it was a part of the 
territory of the republic, and even declared its intention to go to war 
with Creat Britain rather than sacrifice it. Nevertheless, as a measure 
of peace, the administration of Mr. Polk proposed to England the 49th 
parallel of north latitude for a boundary, the original claim of the United 
States having extended to the line of 54° 40'. As this compromise gave 
Great Britain all of \'anconver's Island, it was accepted. 

Free-trade ideas prevailed during this administration to an extent 
suflScient to secure a modification of the high protective tariff of 1S46. 
In May, 1S4S, Wisconsin was admitted into llie Union as a state. 

AGITATION OF THE SLAVERY QUESTION. 

In the fall of 1S4S Zachary Taylor, of Louisiana, was elected 
president by the whig party. He was inaugurated on the 4th of March, 
1S49. 

The slavery question now presented itself again to the country, and 
this time in a most aggravated form ; for both the friends and enemicir 
of that system had grown more powerful since the temporary settle-- 
ment in 1S20. A strong anti-slavery party had grown up at the north, 
which was avowedly determined to oppose the extension of slavery 
beyond its existing limits, and which was believed by the south to be 
working for the overthrow of slavery in the states in which it already 
existed. The contest was resumed in Congress in 1846, while measures 
were on foot looking to peace with Mexico, bj' a proposition from David 
Wilmot, a representative from Pennsylvania, providing that in the 
territory which might be acquired by the war then going on, there should! 
be neither slavery nor involuntary servitude, except for crime. This 
measure, known a.s the " Wilniot Proviso," passed the House of Repre- 
sentatives by a large majority, but the Senate adjourned before a vote 
upon it could be rer.ched. 



FROM THK REVOLUTION TO THE CIVIL WAR. 



425 



The next year the House readopted the proviso, which was rejected 
by the Senate. The House then abandoned it. The proviso was bitterly 
denounced by the southern states, which chaimed that, inasmuch as they 
had furnished the larger nunil)er of troops by which the war was fought 
and the territory wo'i, their instilutions should receive equal protection 




THl''. I'OST OFFICl'. NKW VciKK IN 1878. 
in the new territory with those of the north. The dispute became very 
bitter, and made the presidential election of 1S48 one of the most memor- 
able in the history of the Union. Fresh excitement was added to the 
controversy by the events in California. 
I Gold was discovered in California in February, 1848. As soon as 

this discovery was made known, a large emigration to the Pacific coast 
began from the eastern states and from all parts of the world. In a few 
months the population of the territory was over 100,000. Early m 1849 



426 



FROM THE REVOLUTION TO THE CIVIL WAR. 



it was fouud that an organized government was an absolnte necessity. 
There were inhabitants enongh to entitle the territorj' to adniissiou 
into the Union as a state ; and in September, 1849, a convention was 
held at Montere}-, which adopted and submitted to Congress a consti- 
tution prohibiting slaver}^ The southern states took strong ground 
against the admission of California as a free state, and even went so far 
as to threaten to withdraw from the Union if slavery was excluded from 

the territories. 

A disunion con- 
vention was held 
at Nashville, Ten- 
nessee, in 1850, by 
the extreme party 
in the south. The 
south demanded 
of Congress not 
only the rejection 
of the free consti- 
tution of Cali- 
fornia, but an 
amendment of the 
constitution of the 

HYDRAULIC MINING IN CALIFORNIA. United States 

which should equalize the power of the free and the slave states in the 
general government. New Mexico now asked admission into the Union, 
and Texas set up a claim to a western boundary which included a large 
part of New Mexico. These minor questions very greatly complicated 
the main issue. The country was plunged into an excitement greater 
than that which had prevailed in 1820, and for a while it seemed that the 
Union would surely be destroj^ed. 

Finally a settlement known as the "compromise of 1850," was pro- 
posed in the Senate by Henry Clay, and carried through Congress by 
his efforts, aided bv the moderate men of both sections. This com- 




FROM THE REVOLUTION TO THE CIVIL WAR. 



427 



promise admitted California as a free state ; erected Utah and New 
Mexico into territories, leaving the question of the admission or exclu- 
sion of slavery to the people thereof when they came to form state 
constitutions, arranged the western boundary of Texas, abolished the 
slave trade in the District of Columbia ; and substituted a new law for the 
rendition of fugitive slaves in place of the old act which was ineffective. 

The compromise was bitterly op- 
posed by the extremists of both sec- 
tions, those of the north denounced 
the concessions to Texas in the 
boundary question, and fiercely as- 
sailed the refusal of Congress to forbid 
slavery in the territories. The 
fugitive slave law was not only 
denounced as unchristian and un- 
constitutional, but was opposed and 
nullified on the part of the free 
states by a series of personal liberty 
acts, which were as unlawful as the 
disunion measures of the pro-slavery 
party. The Southern extremists 
resented the admission of California 
as a free state, and the refusal of Congress to sanction and protect 
slavery in the territories. Still, as it was plain that the compromise 
embodied the only settlement possible at the time, the great body of the 
nation accepted it in good faith, and the government honestly executed 
the fugitive slave law in all cases in which its aid was invoked, putting 
down the resistance to it by force. 

In the midst of the struggle over the compromise. General Taylor 
died, on the 9th of July, 1850, and was succeeded by Millai'd Fillmore, 
of New York, the vice-president, who opened his administration with a 
change of cabinet ministers. The new president gave his heart v 
support to the compromise measures, while pending, and his instant 




STEPHEN A. DOUGLAS. 



42S 



FROM THE REVOLUTION TO THE CIVIL WAR. 



approval upon their passage. The priucipal events of his temi were 
the invasion of Cuba by Lopez, in 1S51, which was defeated by the 
Spaniards; the visit of Louis Kossuth to the United States, in 1851 ; 
the disputes with England concerning the fisheries, in 1852, which were 
satisfactorily settled ; and the expedition of Commodore Perry to Japan, 
bv means of which an important treat}- was negotiated with that 
country, and the Japanese ports opened to the commerce of the world. 

The slaver}^ question entered 
largel}- into the presidential 
campaign of 1852, and so greatly 
weakened the whig party that 
the democrats were enabled to 
elect their candidate, Franklin 
Pierce, of New Hampshire. 

General Pierce was inaugu- 
rated on the 4th of March, 
1853. His administration is 
memorable for the violent po- 
litical contests which prevailed 
I during its term. One of its 
first measures was the settle- 
ment of a dispute with Mexico 
bv purchasing the territory 
CHARLES SUMNER. of Arizona. In 1853 Jefferson 

Davis, the secretary of war, inaugurated the surveys for a railway 
to the Pacific by sending out an expedition of engineers of the 
United States army for that purpose. In 1853 Stephen A. Douglas, 
a senator from Illinois, introduced a bill organizing the territories of 
Kansas and Nebraska, lying west of the Missouri river and north of the 
line of 36° 30' N. latitude, in which region the Act of 1S20 forever pro- 
hibited slavery. 

This new bill repealed the Missouri compromise act of 1820, and 
reopened the slavery question in that region. The administration of 




FROM THE REVOLUTION TO THE CIVIL WAR. 



429 



Mr. Pierce and the leaders of the democratic party supported the measure, 
which was opposed by the great mass of the people of the free states 
without regard to party, as a violation of the plighted faith of the nation. 
The bill was hotly debated in Congress, but passed the Senate by a vote 
of 37 to 14, and the House by a vote of 113 to 100, and received the 
executive approval on the 31st of May, 1854. The passage of the bill was 
followed by great agitation throughout the country. It greatly increased 







THE MORMON HAND-CART COMPANY CROSSING THE PLAl NS 
the Strength of the anti-slavery party, which now began to be known as 
the republican party, and drove many democrats into its ranks. 

The act left the territories free to decide between slavery and free 
labor, and thus opened the way for a long and bloody warfare in Kansas, 
which was begun by the pro-slavery party for the purpose of obtaining 
possession of the territory, and was continued until the outbreak of the 
civil war. An effort was made by President Pierce to purchase Cuba 
from Spain, but that power declined to sell the island. An expedition of 
filibusters, under General William Walker, succeeded in conquering 



430 



FROM TIIF. REVOLUTION TO THE CIVIL WAR. 



the Central Americau state of Nicaragua. Walker sent an envoy to 
Washington, who was formally recognized by the president. 

Prominent in the agitation on the slaverj- question was Charles 
Sumner, United States senator from Massachusettes. A cowardly 
attack on him in the Senate chamber by Preston F. Brooks of South 
Carolina did much to inflame the angry feeling of the anti-slaver}- party. 

In the fall of 1856, the democrats elected James Buchanan, of Penn- 




MOUNTAIN MEADOW MAbb.VLKb. 

s\'lvania, president. In this campaign John C. Fremont, the candidate 
of the republican or anti-slaver\- party, received a popular vote oi 
1,341,264, and 114 votes in the electoral college. 

Mr. Buchanan's administration was entirelv southern in its sym- 
pathies, and was marked by a constant struggle in Congress and 
throughout the country over the slaverj' question. The war in Kansas 
went on with great bitterness through this whole term the power of the 
federal government being generally cast against the free settlers, who 
were forced to take extraordinary measures for their defence. An eflfort 



FROM THE REVOLUTION TO THE CIVIL WAR. 431 

was made to force a pro-slavery constitution upon the territory, and it 
split the democratic party into two wings — the larger of which, led by 
Stephen A. Douglas, united with the republicans in opposing this con- 
stitution ; while the smaller, led by the extreme southern men, in 
Congress, received the aid of the administration, and favored the adoption 
of the constitution. 

In 1858, Minnesota was admitted into the Union as a state, and was 
followed by Oregon in 1859. In 1857, the Mormon settlers of Utah 
territory took up arms against the authority of the general government. 
The rebellion continued for some time, and a military force was sent 
across the plains to suppress it ; but the troubles were settled without 
bloodshed. 

COLD-BLOODED MASSACRE AT MOUNTAIN MEADOW. 

On the eighteenth of September, 1S57, one hundred and thirty-six 
emigrants, who were said to have offended the Mormons, were massacred 
in cold blood at Mountain Meadow, Utah. Many years later Bishop Lee, 
of the Mormon Church, was accused of having ordered this wholesale 
murder. Brigham Young was exonerated in 1875. Bishop Lee was con- 
victed, sentenced to death, and shot March 23, 1877, nearly twenty years 
after the dastardl}- crime was committed. 

In October, 1859, John Brown, with a small band of followers, seized 
the United States arsenal at Harper's Ferry, and endeavored to incite 
the slaves of Virginia to insurrection. Brown and his men were cap- 
tured by the United States troops, several of them being killed by the 
soldiers in the fight. The survivors were surrendered by the federal 
government to the State of Virginia for trial, and were convicted and 
hanged. The "John Brown raid " was regarded by the South as incon- 
testable evidence of the determination of the North to destroy the 
institutions of the South under the cover of the Union, while at the 
North a formidable party denounced the execution of Brown as a mur- 
der, and assailedthe South most bitterly for it. 



THE GREAT CIVIL WAR. 



THE presidential election of i860 turned mainly upon the question 
of slavery in the territories. The democratic partj^, already 
weakened by the Kansas question, now finally split into two frag- 
ments. The larger wing nominated Stephen A. Douglas, of Illinois, 
as its candidate. It held that Congress had no power either to sanction 
or forbid slavery in the territories, and that the question could be decided 
onl}' by the people thereof, who were the most interested in it. The 
smaller wing chose John C. Breckenridge, of Kentucky, as its candidate, 
and declared it to be the express duty of Congress to sanction and pro- 
tect slavery- in all the territories of the republic, and maintained that 
the constitution, of its own force, carried slavery into them. The 
republican party nominated Abraham Linco'n, of Illinois, as its can- 
didate. 

This part}- denied all iuteutiou to interfere with the domestic insti- 
tutions of au}' of the states of the Union, but avowed its determination 
to prevent the introduction of slavery into the territories by Congres- 
sional legislation, and denounced as false the doctrine that the consti- 
tution established slaver}' in au}- part of the Union. It asserted the 
right of every community to manage its domestic affairs in its own way, 
and denounced the invasion of Virginia by John Brown as wicked and 
unjustifiable. 

A fourth part}-, known as the constitutional union party, nomi- 
nated John Bell, of Tennessee, and adopted the following vague and 
indefinite platform. "The Union, the Constitution, and the enforce- 
ment of the laws." The contest was bitter beyond all precedent. It 
resulted in the election of Abraham Lincoln by a plurality in the 
popular vote, and a majority of fifty-seven votes over all his competitors 
in the electoral college. 

The southern states had threatened to withdraw from the Union 
in the event of the election of a president hostile to slavery, and now 

432 



THE GREAT CIVIL WAR. 



433 



proceeded to put their threats into execution. As soon as the election 
of Mr. Lincoln was definitely ascertained, the legislature of South 
Carolina summoned a convention of the people of that state, which met 
on the 17th of December, i860. This convention adopted an ordinance 
of secession, and withdrew the state from the Union on the 20th of 
December. The secession of South Carolina was followed by that of 
the following states : Mississippi, on the 9th of January, 1861 ; 
Florida, January loth ; Alabama, January nth ; Georgia, January 19th ; 
Louisiana, January 26th, and Texas, February ist. 

The secession of Georgia was ad- 
vocated by Robert Toombs, one of 
the ablest men of the state, who 
was ver}' pronounced in all his 
opinions. 

The forts, arsenals and other pub- 
lic property of the United States in 
the states named, were seized b}' the 
state authorities and held by their 
troops, except Fort Sumter, in Char- 
leston harbor, and Fort Pickens, 
on Santa Rosa Island, near Pensacola, 
Florida. Fort Sumter was occu- 
pied by a garrison of eight}- men, 
under Major Robert Anderson, who 
had originally occupied Fort Moultrie, on Sullivan's Island. On the 
night of December 25th, i860, Anderson evacuated Fort Moultrie and 
threw his command into Fort Sumter. 
m The federal government was at this time almost helpless. The 
ami}', but 16,000 strong, was posted on the Indian frontier, and the 
available vessels of the navy were nearly all in foreign waters. Many 
of the most prominent officials, including several of the cabinet min- 
isters, were in open sympathy with the seceded states, and the presi- 
dent seemed only anxious to delay any definite action in the matter 




ROBERT TOOMBS. 



434 



Till-: r.Rl'.AT CIVIL WAR. 



until the inauguration of his successor. His recommendations to Con- 
gress were not equal to the emergency. 

He was in favor of conceding to the South everything but separate 
independence ; not seeing that the leaders of the secession movement 
would accept nothing but separation, and by his timidity lost the advan- 
tages which the government would have obtained b}' a bold, firm course. , 

Still he refused to : 
\'ickl to the prcs- • 
sure brought to 
bear upon him for 
the purpose of in- 
ducing him to sur- 
render Fort Sum- 
ter to the state of 
South Carolina. 
He also refused 
to sell the fort to !| 
^ the state, or to 
order Anderson 
back to Fort Moul- 
trie, as he was 
urged to do. 

Various plans 
were proposed in i 
Congress, and by I 
MAJOR ANni.KSON. the States for a 

settlement of the national troubles, but none were attended with success. 
A convention of delegates from the border states met at Washington in 
February, 1861, for the purpose of devising a plan of settlement, but 
adjourned after a session of three weeks, without having accomplished 
anything. Early in January, 1S61, the steamer "Star of the West" 
was despatched to Charleston b}- the government with reinforcements 
and supplies for Fort Sumter. She attempted to enter the harbor on 




THE GREAT CIVIL WAR. 



435 



the 9th, and was fired upon aud turned back by the South Carolina 

batteries. 

On the 4th of February, i86i, a convention of delegates from the 
six seceded states met at Alontgomery, Alabama, and organized the new 
republic of the confederate states of America, and on the 8th elected 
Jefferson Davis, of Mississippi, president of the provisional government. 




FORT MOULTRIE, CHARLESTON HARBOR. 

On the 4th of March, i86i, Abraham Lincoln was inaugurated 
president of the United States. The first act of the new administration 
was to send an expedition to Charleston harbor for the relief of Fort Sumter. 
This expedition sailed from New York and Norfolk on the 7th of April, 
and Governor Pickens of South Carolina was at once informed of its 
departure. The confederate government thereupon ordered General 
Beauregard, commanding its forces at Charleston, to reduce Fort Sumter. 



THE GREAT CIVIL WAR. 



The bombardment was begun on the morning of the I2th of April, and 
was continued until the afternoon of the 13th, when the fort surrendered- 
Upon the fall of Fort Sumter President Lincoln issued a proclamation 
for 75,000 troops to aid in suppressing the rebellion against the laws of 
the United States. The northern and western states responded to it with 
enthusiasm. The state of \"irginia now sided with the South, and seceded 
from the Union on the 17th of April, and was followed b}' Arkansas on 
the 6th of INIaj', North Carolina on the 20th of May, and Tennessee on the 

Sth of June. These states subse- 
quently became members of the confed- 
erate states 

Harper's Ferry and the navy yard 
at Portsmouth, in Virginia, were seized 
by the state forces. The western part 
of Virginia refused to act with the 
eastern counties, and proclaimed its 
independence of the old state. It was 
sustained in this action bj' the federal 
government, and organized the state of 
West Virginia, which was admitted into 
the Union in 1S63. Kentucky and Mif- 
sonri wished to renuiiu neutral in the 
contest, but neitherthe federal nor con- 
federate governments were willing or 
able to respect their neutrality. The prominent points in \'irginia were 
occupied by the confederate forces, and the federal government assembled 
an army near Washington and others on the Ohio and at commanding 
points in the West. \'igorous measures were introduced and carried out 
with firmness for the purpose of checking the disaffection in Maryland, 
Missouri and Kentucky. 

Hostilities began in Western A'irginia. The confederate force in 
that section was defeated at Philippi on the 3d of June, and at Rich 
Mountain on the Sth, by the federal troops under General McClellan, 




JEKFERSOX n.WlS. 




INAUGURATION OF JEFFERSON DAVIS AT MONTGOMERY, ALA. 



437 



438 THE GREAT CIVIL WAR. 

and drivtMi cast of the mouutaius, with the loss of its commander, 
General Garnett. 

On the loth of Jnnc a federal colnmn advanced from Fortress 
Monroe, and attacked the confederates nnder General Magrnder, at 
Bethel Chnrch, on the peninsnla below Richmond. This was bnt the 
opening- o( hostilities in the East. The federal government had collected 
near Washington a strong army nnder General McDowell, and was pre- 
paring for an advance npon the confederate army, nnder General Bean- 
regard, at Manassas Junction, in Virginia. A colnmn of 20,000 federal 
troops, nnder General Patterson, was sent into the valley of Virginia 
to prevent llie confederate force nnder General Johnston, stationed a> 
Harper's Ferry, from assisting Beauregard. 

GREAT ROUT OF THE FEDERALS AT BULL RUN. 

On the 17th oi July General McDowell, with over 50,000 men, 
advanced from \\"ashiugton upon Beauregard's army, which held the 
line of Bull Run, in advance oi Manassas Junction. Johnston, npon 
learning of this movement, skilfully eluded Patterson's army, and 
marched to Bull Run with the bulk of his forces. On the 21st of July 
McDowell attacked the confederates, now about 31.000 strong, but his 
aruiv was routed and driven back upon Washington with a heavy loss. 

The confederates made no effort to advance upon Washington and 
the federal government set to work to repair its reverses. The com- 
mand of the federal army was conferred upon General McClellan, and 
a call was issued for 500,000 fresh troops. .\ powerful force known as 
the army of the Potomac, was organized near Washington. The confede- 
rate government in the meantime had been removed to Richmond, 
\'irginia. in May, and that city remained the capital of the confederacy 
until the close of the war. The remainder of the year was passed bv 
both sides in Virginia, in preparing for a fresh struggle in the following- 
spring, and in the winter o( 1861-62, the confederate government sent a 
force under General T. J. Jackson to hold the valley of \'irginia. On 
the 2ist of October, a federal force of 2,000 men under Colonel Baker 



TlIK f.RIvVT CIVIL WAR. 439 

was defeated in au attempt to drive in the southern left wing at Lees- 
hurg, on the Potomac. Colonel Baker was killed. 

In Missouri, General Lyou, an energetic officer, collected a force of 
Union troops, and drove the governor and state forces out of St. Louis 
and Jefferson City into the southwestern part of the state. On the loth 
of August, Lyon attacked the Missouri forces under General Price, which 
had been reinforced by several thoiisand confederate troops under General 
McCulloch, at Wilson's Creek, near Springfield. The Union army was 
repulsed and General Lyon was killed. On the 20th of September, General 
Price captured Lexington, Missouri, after a short siege. General Fremont 
was now appointed to command the federal forces in Missouri, but before 
lie could accomplish anything was removed and succeeded by General 
Ilalleck, wild drove Price's army out of Missouri into Arkansas. The 
year closed with Missouri in possession of the federal forces. 

THE SOUTHERN COAST BLOCKADED. 

The confederates early in tlie summer of 1S61 occupied Columbus, 
on the Mississippi river, and Bowling Green, in the central part of Ken- 
tucky. A small force was stationed at Belmont, on the Missouri shore, 
opposite Columbus. It was attacked by a federal column from Cairo 
under General Grant on the 7th of November. Grant was repulsed and 
forced to return to Cairo. 

At the outset of the war the federal government proclaimed the 
whole coast of the southern states in a state of blockade. In order to 
make this effective, it was necessary to secure the principal liarbors 
on the coast, and during the war successive expeditious were sent 
against them. The first of these was despatched in August, 1861, and 
captured the works at Hatteras Inlet, on the North Carolina coasti 
ill us securing an entrance to Albemarle and Pamlico sounds. On the 
7th of November Port Royal, in South Carolina, was reduced. 

The confederate government for some time cherished the hope of 
receiving assistance from France and England, and for the purpose of 
securing this aid, commissioners were sent to those countries in the fall 




THE ARREST OF MASON AND SLIDELL ON THE BRITISH STEAMER "TRENT ' 
440 



THE GREAT CIVIL WAR. 441 

of 1861. They were arrested on board the English mail-steamer 
"Trent "on the high seas, b}' Captain Wilkes of the United States 
steamer " San Jacinto," and taken to Boston, where they were imprisoned. 
Great Britain demanded their release, and thej^ were liberated by the 
federal government, which disavowed the action of Captain Wilkes. The 
commissioners repaii"ed to lyondon and Paris, bnt neither Great Britain 
nor France would receive them in their official capacity. 

INSURRECTION AGAINST THE CONFEDERATES. 

The eastern portion of Tennessee did not sympathize in the secession 
movement, but remained loj'al to the Union. In the autumn of 1S61 
the East Tennesseeans rose in insurrection against the confederate 
government, and burned the bridges of the railways connecting Virginia 
with the more southern states. During the war East Tennessee remained 
a constant menace to the confederacy. 

The year 1862 found both governments with powerful armies, pre- 
pared to prosecute the war upon a gigantic scale. Hostilities opened in' 
the west. General George H. Thomas, on the 19th of January, 1862, 
defeated General Zollicofifer at Mill Spring, in western Kentuck\'. This 
success drove back the right of the confederate line in that state. It 
was followed by other successes. General U. S. Grant, aided b}- a fleet 
of gunboats tinder Commodore Foote, captured Fort Henrv, on the Ten- 
nessee river, on the 6th of February, and Fort Donelson, on the Cum- 
berland, on the i6th. These were the most important successes of the 
war, and compelled the confederates to abandon their position in Ken- 
tucky. Bowling Green and Columbus w^ere evacuated, and Nashville 
fell into the hands of the federal army under General Buell. 

General" Beauregard, commanding the confederate forces at Colum- 
bus, fell back to Corinth, an important railroad centre in northern 
Mississippi, and was subsequently joined there by the armv of General 
Sidney Johnston, which had performed a successful flank march from 
Nashville, after the loss of Fort Donelson. General Grant had advanced 
to Pittsburgh Landing on the Tennessee, and was encamped there 



442 



THE GREAT CIVIL WAR. 



awaiting the arrival of Buell's arm}- from Nashville. On the 6th of 
April he was attacked at Shiloh Church, near Pittsburgh Landing, b}- 
the army of General Siduej- Johnston, and after a desperate struggle was 
driven back to the Tennessee. General Johnston was mortallj-' wounded 
at the close of the day, and the command fell to General Beauregard, 
who failed to follow up his success. During the night Grant was rein- 
forced bv Buell's army, and the next morning attacked Beauregard, and 
drove him back to Corinth. 

Another success was won bv the Union arms about the same time 
in the capture of Island No. lo, below Columbu.'^, which occurred on the 




ISLAND NO. 10. 
7th of March. The Union fleet then descended the Mississippi to Fort 
Pillow, where its progress was barred by the confederates. General 
Halleck now assumed the command of the forces of Grant and Buell, 
and laid siege to Corinth, which was evacuated by the confederates on 
the 29th of Mav. The loss of Corinth compelled the confederates to 
evacuate Fort Pillow. They did so on the 4th of June. The Union fleet 
then descended the river to Memphis, and on the 7th of June attacked 
and destroved the confederate flotilla above that city. ]\Iemphis at once 
surrendered, and the Mississippi was opened as far as \'icksburg. 

After the loss of Corinth the confederates assembled an army of 
50,000 men in East Tennessee, and in the hope of restoring their falling 
fortunes invaded Kentucky. They moved in two columns — one from 
Knoxville, under General E. Kirby Smith, and the main body from 



A 



THE GREAT CIVIL WAR. 443 

Chattauooga, under General Bragg. General Buell fell back from Nash- 
ville into Kentucky, and reached Louisville in time to prevent its 
capture. On the 30th of August General Smith won a victory over a 
federal force at Richmond, and occupied Frankfort and Lexington, and 
threatened Cincinnati. Learning that a strong force was assembling for 
the protection of Cincinnati, General Smith fell back, and joined Bragg, 
at Frankfort on the 4th of October. 

RETREAT OF GENERAL BRAGG. 

Finding it impossible to hold Kentucky, Bragg fell back slowly 
taking with him a train of wagons forty miles long, loaded with plunder. 
He was followed leisurely by Buell, who made no serious effort to inter- 
cept his retreat. On the 8th of October an indecisive battle was fought 
at Perryville, and Bragg resumed his retreat to Murfreesboro', Tennessee, 
about thirty miles beyond Nashvilk-. There he was attacked on the 
31st of December by the federal army, which had been taken from Buell 
and placed under command of General Rosecrans. Rosecrans was driven 
back with heavy loss. He took up a new position on Stone river, and 
on the 2nd of January, 1863, was attacked by Bragg, who met with a 
terrible repulse. Bragg then fell back to Tullahoma, about thirty miles 
from Murfreesboro'. 

In the meantime, while Bragg was in Kentucky, the confederates 
had attempted to drive Grant's army out of northern Mississippi. On 
the 19th of September their army under General Price was defeated at 
luka, and on the 4th of October, Price and Van Dorn, having united 
their forces, attacked Corinth, which was held liy an equal federal force 
under General Rosecrans. They were repulsed with great slaughter, 
and driven southward for thirty miles. ■ Towards the close of the year 
General Grant undertook an expedition against Vicksburg, Mississippi, 
biit it proved a failure. 

As we have stated, the confederates were driven out of Missouri into 
Arkansas at the close of 1861. General Van Dorn was placed in com- 
mand of their army, and on the 7th of March, 1862, attacked the federal 





p* 


-?^> 






, - r -. 


; 




.- 


»■ 


•A '■ 1 



I 



THE GREAT CIVIL WAR. 445 

army iiuder General Curtis at Pea Ridge, in the northwestern part of 
Arkansas. Curtis was driven back the iirst day, but taking up a new 
position during the night, repulsed the confederates on the 8th. Van 
Dorn and Price with their troops were soon after ordered east of the 
Mississippi, and bore the bruut of the campaign in northern Mississippi 
in the summer and fall of 1862. 

The federal government continued its efforts to capture the promi- 
nent points on the southern coast. A powerful expedition under General 
Burnside was sent to the coast of North Carolina. On the 8th of February 
it captured Roanoke Island, commanding Albemarle and Pamlico sounds, 
and on the lOth defeated and destroyed the confederate squadron in 
Albemarle sound. On the 14th of March Newbern was taken, and on 
the 25th of April Fort Macon, at the mouth of Beaufort harbor, oue of the 
strongest works on the coast, surrendered after a short siege. Witii the 
exception of the mouth of the Cape Fear, the whole North Carolina coast 
was now in possession of the Union forces. Important points were cap- 
tured on the Florida coast by expeditions from Port Royal. 

EXPEDITION AGAINST NEW ORLEANS. 

An expedition was sent against New Orleans under Commodore 
Farragut and General Butler. Having failed to reduce Forts Jacksou 
and St. Philip, on the lower Mississippi, by a bombardment, Farragut 
forced his wa}- by them with his fleet on the morning of April 24th, and 
destroyed the confederate fleet, two of which were ironclads, in the river 
above. He then ascended to New Orleans, which was surrendered to 
him on the 25th. On the 28th Forts Jackson and St. Philip surrendered. 
The loss of New Orleans greatly disheartened the south, and placed the 
lower Mississippi in the hands of the federal forces. On the nth of 
April Fort Pulaski, at the mouth of the Savannah river, surrendered to 
the federal forces after a bombardment of fifteen days. This capture 
closed the port of Savannah to the confederates. 

Matters in Virginia were of the highest importance. On the 8th of 
March General Johnston evacuated his position at Centreville, and fell 



440 



THE GREAT CIVIL WAR. 



back to the Rapidau. McClellau uow determined to assail Richmond 
from a new direction,and moved his army b}- water from Washington to 
Fortress Monroe, intending to advance upon the confederate capital bv 
way of the peninsula between the York and James rivers. On the 41]] 




GENERAL GEORGE B. McCLELLAN. 

and 5th of April he attacked the position of General Magruder at York- 
town, bnt was repnlsed, and Magruder maintained his line at all points 
until the arrival of Johnston's army from the Rapidan put an end to his 
danger. McClellan then laid siege to Yorktown. 



THE GREAT CIVIL WAR. 447 

In the meantime a conflict, most important in its resnlts, had 
occurred in Hampton Roads, at the mouth of the James river. The con- 
federates had prepared a powerful ironclad ram, called the " Virginia," 
which, on the 8th of March, steamed out of Norfolk into Hampton Roads, 
and destroyed the "Cumberland" and " Congress " men-of-war, and 
threatened to destroy the whole federal fleet. The "Virginia" withdrew 
at nightfall, and returned the next morning to complete her work. Dur- 
ing the night of the 8th, however, the federal ironclad "Monitor" 
arrived at Fortress Monroe on her trial trip from New York. On the 
appearance of the "Virginia" on the 9th, the "Monitor" at once 
engaged her, and drove her back to Norfolk with heavy loss. This was 
the first engagement ever fought between ironclads, and revolutionized 
the naval system of the entire world. 

M'CLELLAN DEFEATED AT SEVEN PINES. 

On the 3d of May Johnston's army fell back from the lines of York- 
town towards Richmond. McClellan at once moved forward in pursuit. 
An encounter occurred at Williamsburg on the 5th, but Johnston accom- 
plished his movement without further molestation, and took position 
behind the Chickahominy in front of Richmond. The federal army 
advanced to the north bank of that river. The city of Norfolk was 
abandoned upon the retreat from the peninsula, and the ironclad 
" Virginia " was blown up. McClellan, towards the last of May, threw 
his left wing across the Chickahominy. It was attacked by General 
Johnston on the 31st of May, and was defeated with heavy loss at 
Seven Pines. 

General Johnston was wounded in this engagement, and was suc- 
ceeded by General R. E. Lee, who determined to drive McClellan away 
from the Chickahominy. McClellan in the meantime had been promised 
the assistance of McDowell's army of 40,000 men, which had been 
retained before Washington for the protection of the capital, and he 
prepared to attack Richmond immediately upon the arrival of this 
force. 



448 



THE GREAT CIVIL WAR. 



To prevent the execution of this plan General Jackson was ordered 
to drive the federal forces out of the valley of Virginia, and threaten 
Washington. He accomplished this object bv one of the most brilliant 
campaigns of the war. He crossed the mountains and drove back tiie 




LIEUTEN.\XT-GENERAL T. J. (STONE\V.-\LD J.^CKSON. 

army of General Fremont at the village of McDowell in West \'irginia, 
on the 8th of May, and returning to the valley with all speed defeated 
Bank's army in a series of encounters, and drove him across the 
Potomac. General McDowell's march to McClellan's assistance was 



THE GREAT CIVIL WAR. 44y 

suspended by the federal government, and he was ordered to co-operate 
with Fremont in an effort to destroy Jackson. 

Jackson, by a rapid and skilful march, eluded his pursuers until he 
had reached a point from which his line of reti^eat was safe, and then 
turned upon them and defeated Fremont at Cross Keys on the Stli of 
June, and Shields at Port Republic the next day. Having thus pre- 
vented the junction of his enemies, he hastened to the Chickahominy 
to assist General Lee in his attack upon IMcClellan. 

SANGUINARY BATTLE OF COLD HARBOR. 

- General IMcClellan, upon the failure of McDowell to join him, 

became alarmed for the safety of his communications with his base at 
the head of the York river, and resolved to abandon them and establish 
a new base on the James river. Before he could accomplish this his 
right wing at Mechanicsville was attacked bj- General Lee on the 25th 
of June, and driven in upon his centre at Cold Harbor. He was attacked 
at the latter place the next day by the combined forces of Lee and Jack- 
son, and was driven across the Chickahominy into the strongl}^ fortified 
position of his left wing. 

He now destroyed his communications with the York river, and on 
the 28th began his retreat to the James, through White Oak Swamp. 
On the 29th his rear-guard, under General Sumner, repulsed au attack 
of the confederates at Savage Station. On the 30th the battle of 
Frazier's Farm was fought, in which IMcClellan held his ground until 
his army was safely out of the swamp. On the ist of Juh' the confed- 
erates made their final attack upon the impregnable position of the 
federal army at Malvern Hill, and were repulsed with severe loss. The 
federal army now took position at Harrison's Landing, on the James 
river, under the protection of the fleet, which had ascended the James. 

The federal government acted with great vigor in its efforts to repair 
its losses. Six hundred thousand fresh troops were raised in three 
months, and a large army was collected in northern Virginia under 
General Pope. A few weeks later McClellan was drawn from his posi- 

29 



450 



THE GREAT CIVII. WAR. 



^^Z- -^^.-^'S'j; 



tion on the James, aud ordered to reinforce Pope. General Lee had sent 
Jackson's corps to the Rappahannock to watch Pope, and Jackson had 
defeated the advanced forces of that army at Cedar Mountain on the 9th 
of August. Upon the withdrawal of McClellau from the James, Lee 
joined Jackson with his whole force, and attacked Pope, hoping to defeat 
him before he could be joined by McClellan. He penetrated to his rear, 
destroyed his depot of supplies at Manassas, and defeated him in a series 

of battles on the 28th, 29th and 
30th of August — the last en- 
gagement, the second battle of 
Bull Run, being one of the best 
fought fields of the war — and 
drove him within the lines of 
Washington. 

Having defeated Pope, Lee 
crossed the Potomac, and entered 
Maryland. On the 6th of Sep- 
tember, he occupied Frederick, 
and on the 15th, Jackson's corps 
captured Harper's Ferry and 
its garrison of 11,000 men. 
General McClellan was restored 
GENERAL ROBERT E. LEE. to the Command of the army of 

the Potomac after Pope's defeat. He reorganized the beaten force on the 
march, and promptly advanced against Lee, whom he encountered at 
South Mountain, where the latter had taken position to await the issue 
of Jackson's attack on Harper's Ferry. McClellan attacked him on the 
14th of September, and forced him to fall back. Lee took position 
behind Antietam creek, where he was joined by Jackson's troops on the 
morning of the 17th. 

On the 17th McClellan attacked the confederate army, and the battle 
lasted throughout the da}'. Lee held his position that day and through- 
out the iSth, and during the night of the i8th retreated into Virginia. 





461 



462 THE GREAT CIVIL WAR. 

McClellan followed leisurely, and moved towards the Rappahannock. 
On the yth of November he was removed from his command, and was 
succeeded b}' General Bumside. Burnside moved towards Fredericksburg, 
and Lee took position on the heights in the rear of that town. He was 
attacked in this position b}' the federal arm}' on the 13th of December, 
and repulsed every assault. Burnside retreated across the Rappahannock, 
and the campaign closed. 

BURNSIDE SUCCEEDED BY HOOKER. 

The defeated commander was now removed at his own request, and 
was succeeded b}- General Hooker. Towards the last of April, 1863, 
Hooker, whose army numbered 120,000 men, and was in splendid condi- 
tion, crossed the Rappahannock to attack Lee, who liad been weakened 
by the withdrawal of Longstreet's corps for service in lower \'irginia. 
The southern arm}' numbered 50,000 men. Lee, whose situation, peril- 
ous in the extreme, demanded the utmost boldness, attacked Hooker and 
drove him from the intrenched position he had taken at Chancellorsville 
to the banks of the Rappahannock, on the 2d and 3d of May. 

He then turned upon the cohimn of General Sedgewick, which had 
crossed the Rappahannock and carried his old position at Fredricksburg, 
and defeated it and compelled it to recross that stream on the 4th, and 
then moved against Hooker again. The federal commander-, however, 
retreated across the Rappahannock with his main body on the night of 
the 5th, having lost 12,000 men. Tlie confederates bought their victor}' 
dearly in the loss of General (Stonewall) Jackson, one of their ablest 
leaders, who was mortally wounded in the first day's attack. 

The confederates followed up their victory by an invasion of the 
north by the army of General Lee, 80,000 strong. The Potomac was 
crossed on the 2 2d of June. The federal army followed, moving east of. 
the mountains, and on the march General Hooker, unable to agree with 
the war department on a plan of operation, resigned his command, and 
■was succeeded by George G. Meade. 

Both armies now moved iipon Gettysburg, Pennsylvania, where. 



THE GREAT CIVIL WAR. 



453 



iguorain of each otlier's designs, they met on the ist of July. Eacli 
took up a strong position with the town between them, and on the 3d 
the confederates made a tremendous attack upon the federal line, and were 
repulsed with terrible loss. On the night of the 4th Lee withdrew from 




GENERAL GEORGE G. MEADE. 

Gettysburg, and retreated to the Potomac, which he recrossed on the 
13th and 14th without serious opposition from the federal army. He 
retreated slowly to the Rapidan, followed by the army of the Potomac. 
The two forces passed the winter on the banks of this stream. 



454 Tin-: GREAT CIVIL WAR. 

The retreat of General Lee was covered by cavalry under command 
of General James E. B. Stuart, who was afterwards killed in a battle 
against Sheridan at Yellow Tavern. 

In the west and southwest the federal arms were equally suc- 




GENERAL J. E. B. STUART. 

cessful. The army of General Grant crossed the Mississippi below 
Vicksburg on the ist of May, and thrust itself boldly between the 
arm}- collected at Jackson by General Joseph E. Johnston and that at 
Vicksburg. On the 14th of Ma}- Johnston was driven from Jackson, 




THE GREAT CIVIL WAR. 455 

and Grant then turned upon Pembertou, defeated him at Champion Hills 
on the i6th, and again at the Big Black on the 17th, and drove him 
within the defences of Vicksburg, which were invested by the federal 

army. 

On the 4th of July Vicksburg, with its garrison of 30,000 men, sur- 
rendered to General Grant, and on the 8th Port Hudson, lower down the 
Mississippi, surrendered to General Banks. These victories deprived 
the confederates of their last hold upon the Mississippi, and with the 
defeat of Lee's army at Gettysburg, were 
decisive of the war. 

After the battle of Stone river there 
was no movement of importance until the 
fall, when Rosecrans advanced against 
Bragg, who had occupied Chattanooga. 
Bragg fell back into Georgia, where he was 
heavily reinforced, and then wheeled 
upon Rosecrans, who had followed in 
pursuit, and defeated him at Chicka- 
mauga on the 19th and 20th ofSeptem- general joiin c. pemberton. 
ber. Rosecrans retreated to Chattanooga, which was at once invested 
by Bragg's army. The federal forces were reduced to great hardships 
by a scarcity of provisions. After the fall of Vicksburg Rosecrans was 
relieved of his command. 

General Thomas succeeded him in command of the army of the 
Cumberland, and General Grant was given the supreme command of the 
western armies, and ordered to relieve the army of the Cumberland. He 
was heavily reinforced for this purpose, and about the middle of Novem- 
ber was before Chattanooga with his forces. On the 23d of November 
General Thomas, by a sudden sortie from Chattanooga, captured the 
important position of Orchard Knob. On the 24th Hooker stormed and 
carried Lookout Mountain, and on the 25th Bragg' s army was driven 
from its last position at Mission Ridge. Bragg retreated into Georgia, 
and was soon after succeeded by General Joseph E. Johnston. 




456 



THE GREAT CIVIL WAR. 



lu the summer of 1863, General Burnside, with a force of 25,000 
men, entered East Tennessee from Kentucky, and occupied Knoxville. 
After the battle of Chickamauga, Bragg sent Longstreet's corps to drive 
the federals out of East Tennessee. Lougstreet succeeded in confining 




THE CAPTURE OF LOOKOUT MOUNTAIN. 

Burnside to the defences of Knoxville, and besieged him there. Though 
reduced almost to starvation, Burnside held out resolntel)-, and after the 
relief of Chattanooga, Grant sent Sherman's army to his assistance. 
Upon the approach of his forces Lougstreet raised the siege of Knoxville 
and retreated into Virginia. 

On the 1st of January-, 1S63, the confederates recaptured Galveston, 



THE GREAT CIVIL WAR. 



457 



which had fallen into the hands of the federal forces in the autumn of 
1862. Their efforts to recover Arkansas were not successful. 

A powerful naval expedition, under Admiral Dupont, was sent ' 
against Charleston. On the 7th of April, Dupont endeavored to force 




GENERAL JAMES LONGSTREET. 

his way into the harbor, but was driven back by the southern batteries. 
Early in July, a force of land troops, under General Gilmore, laid siege 
to Fort Wagner on Morris' Island. It was evacuated on the night of the 
6th of September, just as the final assault was about to be made by the 



458 



THE GREAT CIVIL WAR. 



besiegers. From the position thus gained a heavy fire was maintained 
on Fort Sumter by federal guns, and shells were thrown into Charleston. 
On the ist of January, 1S63, President Lincoln issued a proclama- 
tion declaring all the slaves within the limits of the southern states free 
from that date. 

The year 1864 opened with an expedition from New Orleans, under 




THE ATTACK u.N 1-uKl SL.MiLK BY THK MONITOK FLEET. 

General Banks and Admiral Porter, to the rich region known as the Red 
river country. Banks was defeated at Sabine Cross-Roads, on the 8th of 
April, and was forced to retreat. He repulsed an attack at Pleasant Hill 
on the 9th, but continued his retreat, and the expedition proved a total 
failure. 

In March, General U. S. Grant was made a lieutenant-general and 
given the chief command of the armies of the United States. He estab- 



THE GREAT CIVIL WAR. 



459 



lished his headquarters with the army of the Potomac, and assumed the 
immediate direction of affairs in Virginia. General W. T. Sherman was at 
the same time placed in command of the western armies, and charged 
with the direction of the campaign against General Johnston in Georgia. 




GENERAL SHERMAN AT THE OUTBREAK OF THE WAR. 

On the 4th of May the army of the Potomac, 140,000 strong, crossed 
the Rapidan under General Grant's orders. On the 5th it encountered 
the confederate army, under General Lee, in the Wilderness, and a severe 
battle ensued, which was continued the next day. Failing to force Lee 



460 



THE GREAT CIVIL WAR. 



back by a direct attack, Grant turned his right flank, and moved to 
Spottsylvania Court House. Lee reached that point before him and took 
position on the heights around it. Between the 9th and 12th of May Grant 
made several determined efforts to dislodge Lee, but failed to do so, and 
on the 2 1 St renewed his flauk movement in the direction of the North 




BATTLE OF COLI , . 

Anna river. Arriving there on the 23d he found Lee's army in position 
behind that stream. 

Finding the con federate position too strong to be attacked, he moved 
on the 26th, to the Chickahomiuy. Lee followed him and occupied r 
strong position at Cold Harbor. On the 3d of June Grant attempted to 
carry the southern works by storm, but was repulsed with a loss of 13,000 
men, making his total loss of 6o,coo men since the opening of the cam- 
paign. He again moved around Lee's right, and, crossing James river, 
at Wilcox's Landing, on the 15th and i6th of June, advanced upon 
Petersburg, and attacked that city. Being unable to carry the confederate 
works, he laid siege to Petersburg. His right extended across the Appo- 



THE GREAT CIVIL WAR. 461 

mattox and rested on the James, and was subsequently prolonged to the 
north side of the James. His left was gradually extended during the 
year, for the purpose of seizing the Weldou road, one of Lee's lines of 
communication with North Carolina. 

The federal plan of campaign included the occupation of the valley 
of Virginia and the seizure of the railway connecting Virginia with 
East Tennessee and Georgia. General Sigel, with an army of 10,000 
men, was charged with the execution of this task, but was defeated by 
General Breckinridge at New Market, on the 15th of May, and driven 
down the valley. General Hunter succeeded him in the command, and 
forced his way to the vicinity of Lynchburg. General Lee became 
alarmed for the safety of that place, and sent General Early to its relief 
with 12,000 men. Early drove Hunter into West Virginia, and hasten- 
ing down the valley, crossed the Potomac, and on the 7th of July occu- 
pied Frederick, Maryland. 

TROOPS HURRIED TO THE CAPITAL. 

On the 9th he defeated a small force that sought to stop his auvance 
at the Monocacy river, and marched upon Washington, which was 
defended by a small garrison. Grant hurried reinforcements to the 
capital, and when Early arrived before its defences, he found them 
occupied by too strong a force to justify him in attacking them, and 
retreated across the Potomac. An army of 40,000 men was now assem- 
bled in the valley of Virginia by the federal government, and placed 
under General Sheridan. He defeated Early at Winchester on the 19th 
of September; at Fisher's Hill on the 226.; and at Cedar Creek on the 
19th of October, destroyed his army and laid waste the entire valley of 
the Shenandoah. 

On the 7th of Alay the western army, under General Sherman, 
100,000 strong, advanced from Chattanooga upon the confederate army, 
50,000 strong, under General Johnston, which was posted at Dalton, 
Georgia. By a flank movement, Sherman dislodged Johnston from his 
position and compelled him to fall back to Resaca. He then attacked 



4t)-J 



THE GRKAT CIVIL WAR. 



Johnston at Resaca on the 14th and 15th of May, but without success. 
To avoid being outflanked. Johnston fell back to Dallas. After some 
verv lieavv fighting at New Hope Church, Sherman turned Allatoona 




SHERID.\N-S CAVALRY CHARGE AT CEDAR CREEK. 

Pass, and Johnston fell back to a line embracing Pine, Lost, and Kene- 
saw mountains. 

Between the 15th of June and the 2nd of July, Sherman made 
several attempts to force this line, but failing, moved to the left and 



THE GREAT CIVIL WAR. 



468 



turned it. Johnston at once fell back behind the Chattahoochee, and 
within the lines of Atlanta. He had prepared this important city for a 
siege, and was resolved, as soon as Sherman had passed the Chatta- 
hoochee, to attack him and force him to a decisive battle. The federal 



ijI I ml 




MAJOR-GENF.RAL J. M. SCHOFIELD. 

army had already lost over 30,000 men since the opening of the cam- 
paign, while Johnston had lost less than 8,000. 

Before the confederate commander could execute his plan, he was 
removed by the confederate president, who was personally unfriendly to 
him, and was succeeded by General Hood, a gallant but incompetent com- 



464 



THE GREAT CIVIL WAR. 



mander. Hood attacked Sherman on the 20th and 22nd of Jul}-, before 
Atlanta, and was each time defeated witli lieavy loss. He Avas out- 
generaled by Sherman, and was forced to evacuate Atlanta on the 
31st of August, and on the 2nd of September Sherman occupied the city. 




MAJCiR GENERAL JAMES B. McPHERSON. 

Hood now endeavored to draw Sherman out of Georgia by an inva- 
sion of Tennessee, but the latter left General Thomas, who held Nash- 
ville, to manage the confederates, and embarked in another enterprise. 
Hood moved from the Tennessee river on the 19th of November, and, 



THE GREAT CIVIL WAR. 



465 



defeating a federal force under General Schofield at Franklin, on the 
30tli, advanced to Nashville, and laid siege to that place, which was 
defended by General Thomas with an army of 40,000 men. On tlie 15th 




COMMODORE DAVID C. FARRAGUT. 

and 1 6th Thomas attacked the confederates, defeated them, and drove 
them across the Tennessee in utter rout. 

In the meantime Sherman cut his communications with Chatta- 
nooga, set fire to Atlanta, and, on the 14th of November, began his 

30 



466 



THE GREAT CIVIL WAR. 



"march to the sea," through Georgia, at the head of a splendid army of 
60.CXX) men. His march was accomplished without difficulty, as there 
was no enemy of any consequence in his front, and he devoted his 
energies to ravaging the couutrv through which he passed. In about 




SINKING OF THE •• AL-ABAM.A'- BY THE K;;a..--..\RGE.-' 

four weeks he reached the coast, on the 13th of December, stormed 
and captured Fort McAllister, and on the 22d of December, occu- 
pied Savannah, which had been evacuated by the confederates. Dur- 
ing a skirmish between the forces of Sherman and General Johnston, 
General MacPhersou, a brave and gallant federal officer, was killed. 

In the summer of 1S64, Admiral Farragut forced his way with his 
fleet by the forts defending the entrance to Mobile Bay, and on the 5th 



THE GREAT CIVIL WAR. 467 

of August, defeated the confederate fleet iu tlie lower bay in one of the 
hardest fought uaval battles on record. The forts subsequently 
surrendered to the land forces accompanying the expedition, but the 
city of Mobile was not taken for some months afterwards. In December 
an expedition was sent against Fort Fisher, at the mouth of the Cape 
Fear river, but was unsuccessful. 

On the 19th of June, the famous confederate cruiser " Alabama," 
which had destroyed a large number of merchant vessels owned in 
northern states, was defeated and sunk by the United States steamer, 
"Kearsage" off Cherbourg, France. 

In the fall of 1864, President Lincoln was re-elected over General 
McClellan, the candidate of the democratic party. On the 31st of 
October, tlie state of Nevada was admitted into the Union. 

BRILLIANT PROSPECTS FOR THE FEDERALS. 

The year 1865 opened with brilliant prospects for the Union cause. 
The confederates v/ere at the end of their resources, and the Union 
forces had recovered a large part of the soutb. On the 3d of February 
an informal conference was held between President Lincoln and several 
commissioners from the confederate government, in Hampton Roads, 
but resulted iu nothing, as President Lincoln refused to entertain any 
propositions that were not based upon the unconditional submission of 
the southern states. 

The attempt to capture Fort Fisher was renewed by Admiral Porter 
and General Terry in January, 1865, and on the 15th the fort was 
carried by assault after a desperate struggle. The confederates then 
abandoned their other works at the mouth of the Cape Fear. The 
capture of Fort Fisher closed the port of Wilmington to the confed- 
erates, and cut them off from all communication with Europe. On the 
22d of February, Wilmington was captured by the Union forces. 

Towards the end of January, Sherman, who had given his army a 
month's rest on the coast, resumed his advance through South Carolina 
towards Virginia, to co-operate with Grant in bringing the war to a 



I 



468 



THE GREAT CIVIL WAR. 



close. He pushed forward with energy through a country rendered 
almost impassable by the winter rains, and on the 17th of" February 
occupied Columbia, South Carolina, which was nearly destro^-ed by fire. 
Charleston was eyacuated bj- the confederates on the same day, and on 
the iSth Avas occupied by the federal forces. On the 12th of March 
Sherman reached Fayetteyille, North Carolina, and moyed from that 
place towards Goldsboro'. The confederate goyemment gathered a force 
of 35,000 men under General Johnston in Sherman's front. Johnston 
Ayith this force attacked Sherman at Ayerasboro' on the i6th of March, 

and at Beuton- 
ville on the 19th, 
but was unable to 
stay the progress 
of the federal 
army, which on 
the 2 2d of March 
occupied Golds- 
boro'. Johnston 
then withdrew 
towards Raleigh. 
The army of 
General Grant 
resumed opera- 

THE L-JiST C.^\ ALRY CHARGE OF THE WAR. tions towards the 

lastof March, being joined by 10,000 cavalry from the valley of Virginia, 
under General Sheridan. Lee's right wing was turned on the 30th of 
March, and was defeated at Five Forks on the ist of April. On the 
night of the second of April General Lee evacuated Richmond and 
Petersburg, and retreated towards Amelia Court House, from which he 
moved towards Lynchburg. Richmond and Petersburg were occupied 
b}- the federal forces on the morning of the third, and the main body of 
the army hurried on in pursuit of Lee, who was oyertaken, cut off from 
Lynchburg, and compelled to surrender at Appomattox Court House orr 




THE GREAT CIVIL WAR. 469 

the 9th of April. Johnston's army surrendered on the 26th of April to 
General Sherman. The other southern forces promptly laid down their 
arms, the last to surrender being the army of General E. Kirby Smith, 
in Texas, on the 26th of May. 

The rejoicings of the north over the close cjf the war were cut short 
by the assassination of President Lincoln by John Wilkes Booth, at 
Ford's theatre, in Washington, on the night of the 14th of April. 

On the loth of May Jefferson Davis was captured at Irwinsville, 
Georgia, and sent as a prisoner to Fortress Monroe. 



FROM THE CIVIL WAR DOWN 
TO THE PRESENT TIME. 



THE war was now at an eud. It had cost the couutrv a million of 
men, and an enormons sum in monej-. The efforts of the govern- 
ment were now devoted to the reconstrnction of the Union. 
President Johnson held that the southern states had never been out of the 
Union, and tried to restore them to their former places without consulting 
Congress. That body, upon assembling in December, 1865, repudiated 
the president's action, and demanded that the southern states should 
adopt the thirteenth, fourteenth and fifteenth amendments to the federal 
constitution abolishing slavery, aud admitting the negro to the rights and 
privileges of a citizen, before being admitted into the Union. 

A prolonged struggle, which lasted for several years, ensued between 
the conquered states and Congress, the former being sustained by the 
president, who declared the action of Congress unconstitutional. The 
states of the south were finally compelled to accept the terms of Congress, 
and upon ratifving the amendments, were at length restored to the Union. 
The quarrel between President Johnson and Congress resulted in an 
effort to remove the former by impeachment. He was tried before the 
Senate on charges preferred by the House of Representatives in the 
spring of 1S6S, but was acquitted. 

The thirteenth amendment to the federal constitutioli, abolishing 
slavery, was adopted bj^ the states in 1865. The fourteenth amendment, 
guaranteeing civil rights to all, without distinction of race or color, and 
basing representation on the number of inhabitants, was adopted in 1868. 
The fifteenth amendment, guaranteeing the right of suffrage to all, 
irrespective of race, color, or previous condition of servitude, was adopted 
in 1870. 

■J70 



FROM THE CIVIL WAR TO THK PRESENT TIME. 471 

The public debt was enormous at the close of the war, amounting 
to nearly $2,700,000,000. Measures were set on foot for its reduction, 
and the national finances were adjusted upon a plan satisfactory to the 
nation. The heavy rate of taxation was gradually reduced, and the 
country recovered rapidly from the effects of the war, the south sharing 
in the general prosperity. 

OLD WORLD AND NEW CONNECTED BY CABLE. 

In 1866 a telegraphic cable was successfully laid between America 
and Ireland. This great work was accomplished onl\- after repeated and 
costly failures extending through a period of nine 3'ears. Its final success 
was due to the energy and perseverance of Cyrus W. Field, of New 
York. 

In the fall of 186S Ulysses S. Grant, of Illinois, the successful 
commander of the Union armies during the civil war, was elected presi- 
dent. He was inaugurated in March, 1869. In the summer of 1869 
the great Pacific railway from the Missouri river to San Francisco was 
completed. 

BRITISH GOVERNMENT PAID $16,250,000. 

During the civil war a number of confederate cruisers, built, 
equipped and manned in British ports, went to sea, and committed great 
ravages upon the commerce of the United States. After the close of 
the war the American government demanded compensation from Great 
Britain for these losses. The British government refused at first to enter- 
tain the demand, but after some years agreed to submit the question to the 
arbitration of a board chosen from the neutral nations. This board met at 
Geneva, in Switzerland, on the 15th of April, 1872, and on the 27th of June 
submitted its award in favor of the United States. Great Britain was 
required to pay the United States damages to the amount of $16,250,000. 

A great fire broke out in Chicago on the 8th of October, 1871, and 
raged for tw^o days. The area burned over was 2124 acres, or nearly 
three and one-third square miles. The number of buildings destroyed 



472 FROM THE CIVIL WAR TO THE PRESENT TIME. 

was 17,450. The loss was from $196,000,000 to $200,000,000. It was 
the most destructive conflagration of modem times. 

On the 9th of November, 1872, a fire occurred in Boston, and swept 
over an area of 65 acres in the heart of the business section of the city. 
It destroyed 776 buildings, inflicting a loss of $78,000,000 upon the city. 

lu the fall of 1872 General Grant was re-elected president by an 




THE BURNING OF CHICAGO. 

overwhelming majority over Horace Greelej", the candidate of the liberal 
republican and democratic parties'. A deplorable result of the struggle, 
which was conducted with iutense bitterness, was the death of Mr. 
Greeley on the 29th of November, 1872. 

On the 4th of March, 1872, President Grant entered upon his second 
term of office. Early in the same year a troublesome war began with 
the Modoc Indians, who were dissatisfied with the reservations assigned 



i 



FROM THE CIVIL WAR TO THE PRESENT TIME. 



473 



.■"5*^?' 



them bv the government in the northern part of Oregon. They took 
refuge in a difficult region known as the "lava beds," where they main- 
tained a successful resistance of several months. Efforts were made to 
settle the war by treaty, and during one of these conferences the Indians 
suddenly turned upon the peace commissioners, and killed all but one. 
At the same moment, General Canby, commanding the United States 
troops operating against 
the savages, who was also 
present, was shot down, 
and died instantl}'. The 
war was then pressed with 
vigor. The Indians were 
forced to surrender, and 
those who had been con- 
cerned in the murder of the 
peace commissioners and 
General Canby were hanged 
on the 3d of October, 1873. 
A revolution broke out in 
the island of Cuba in 1S6S, 
and for several years the 
patriot forces successfully 
held their ground against 
the Spanish troops. The HORACE GREELEY, 

government of the United States faithfully endeavored to observe 
neutrality between the contending parties, and to prevent the sending 
of supplies or men to the island. In spite of the precautions of the 
government, however, several expeditions did succeed in getting 
to sea and reaching Cuba. One of these embarked on the .steamer 
"Virginius" in the fall of 1873. The steamer, though carrying the 
American flag and sailing in English waters at the time, was captured 
by the Spanish man-of-war "Tornado" off the coast of Jamaica and 
taken into the port of Santiago de Cuba. The commander of the steamer, 




471 FROM THE CIVIL WAR TO THE PRi:<KXT TIME. 

and about forty of the crew and passengers, were given a mock trial by 
the Spaniards, and were shot. 

The consul ofihe United States at Santiago de Cuba made great 
exertions to save the doomed men, but was treated with iudignitj' by the 
Spanish oflScials, and was not allowed to communicate with Havana, 
from which point he could telegraph to Washington. The popular 
indignation in the United States upon the receipt of the news of this 
outrage was intense and outspoken. The government acted with pru- 
dence and firmness. Several vessels of war were sent to Santiago de 
Cuba to prevent the execution of the surviving prisoners, and the fleet 
in the West Indies was reinforced as rapidl}- as possible. Every prepa- 
ration was made for war, but it was determined to settle the matter 
peacefulh' if possible. The United States demanded of Spain the arrest 
and punishment of the officials concerned in the massacre of the 
prisoners, a suitable indemnity in money for the families of the murdered 
men, an apologj- to the United States for the oiitrage upon their flag, 
and the surrender of the "Virginius" and her remaining passengers 
and crew to an American man-of-war. 

SPANISH GOVERNMENT BROUGHT TO TERMS. 

The alternative was war. The Spanish government was compelled 
to concede these terms, and orders were sent to Cuba to surrender the 
"Virginius" and all the survivors to the naval forces of the United 
States. The Cuban officials endeavored to evade these orders, but were 
compelled to submit, and the " Virginius " and the prisoners were deliv- 
ered to an American man-of-war in the harbor of Havana. The apology 
was also made, and at a later period the indemnity was paid to the 
United States. 

In the fall of 1873 a severe commercial crisis, known as the " rail- 
road panic," caused by excessive speculation in railroad stocks and the 
reckless construction of railroads in sections of the country where thej- 
were not needed, burst upon the country. It was the occasion of the 
failure of many of the leading banking houses and financial institutions 



FROM THE CIVIL WAR TO THE PRESENT TIME. 475 

of the Union, and produced great hardship and suffering in all parts of 
the country, and was followed by several years of great dulness and loss 
in all branches of trade. 

In January, 1875, Congress passed an act providing for the resump- 
tion of specie payments, and requiring that on and after January ist, 
i879,the legal tender notes of the government shall be redeemed in specie. 

On the 4th of March, 1875, the territory of Colorado was 
admitted into the Union as a state, making the thirty-eighth member 
of the confederacy. 

CELEBRATIONS AT LEXINGTON AND CONCORD. 

The 3^ear 1875 completed the period of one hundred years from the 
opening of the revolution, and the events of 1775 were celebrated with 
appropriate ceremonies at the places at which they occurred. The 
centennial anniversary of the battles of Lexington and Concord was com- 
memorated at both those places on the 19th of April with great rejoicings. 
On the 17th of June the centennial of the battle of Bunker Hill was 
celebrated at Charlestown. Vast crowds were present from all parts of 
the country. One of the most gratifying features of the last named 
celebration was the presence of a large body of troops from the southern 
states, all of whom had served in the confederate armies during the 
civil war. 

As early as 1872 measures were set on foot for the proper obser- 
vance of the completion of the first century of American independence. 
For this purpose it was resolved to hold, in the city of Philadelphia, an 
international exhibition in 1876, in which all the nations of the world 
were invited to participate. Preparations were at once set on foot for 
the celebration. The European governments accepted, with great 
cordiality, the invitation extended to them by the government of the 
United States, and made liberal provisions for the display of their 
respective products and achievements. 

On the loth of May, 1876, the exhibition was opened by the President 
of the United States, in the presence of an immense concourse of citizens 



476 



FROM THE CIVIL WAR TO THE PRESENT TIME. 



from all parts of the Union, and of the Emperor of Brazil. The exhibi- 
tion remained open until November loth, 1876, and wa.s vi.sited by 
9,789,392 persons, from the various states of the Union, from Canada, 
South America and Europe. It was one of the grandest and most notable 
events of the century, and was successful in every respect. 

On the 4th of July, 1876, the United States of America completed 
the one hundredth j-ear of their existence as an independent nation. The 
da}^ was celebrated with imposing ceremonies in all parts of the Union. 
The celebrations began on the night of the third, and were kept up until 




MEMORI.\L HALL, FAIRMOUNT PARK, PHILADELPHIA. 

near midnight on the fourth. Each of the great cities of the Union vied 
with the others in the splendor and completeness of its festival ; but the 
most interesting of all was, naturally, that which was held at Philadel- 
phia, in which citv the Declaration of Independence was adopted. It 
began on the first of July and was continued until midnight on the 
fourth, and was in all respects a grand and enthusiastic demonstration. 
The year 1876, was not destined to be altogether a period of peace. 
In 1867, the government of the United States made a treaty with the 
Sioux Indians, by which the latter agreed to relinquish to the United 
States, all the territory south of the Niobrara river, west of the one 



!ll!|fS::!ii!fii''i 



Mm 



' . v'i'i'HIBl! 




P |., „Ji'" 






iii 

illi gl 



i:;'^''^-'''i4ll|||i 



l^,.,,,,; „aii''ii .lillliJaijJiiiiiililaMiid'iii 




477 



478 FROM THE CIVIL WAR TO THE PRESENT TIME. 

hiiudred and fourth meridian of longitude, and north of the forty-sixth 
parallel of latitude. This treaty secured to the Sioux a large reservation 
in the southwestern part of Dakota, and they agreed to withdraw to this 
reservation by the ist of January, 1876. 

A few years later gold was discovered in the Black Hills country, a 
region Ij'ing within the Sioux reservation, and this discovery produced 
great excitement among the mining class. An expedition under 
General Custer in 1874, confirmed this discovery and preparations were 
at once made by the miners to proceed to the Black Hills and open the 
mines. The government ordered the military authorities to prevent any 
such intrusions into the territories of the Indians, but manj' parties set 
out in spite of these orders. Some were driven back by the Indians, but 
others succeeded in reaching the gold regions. 

DEPREDATIONS BY INDIANS. 

It was now evident that a S3^stematic and determined effort would 
be made to settle the Black Hills, and as a measure of peace the govern- 
ment resolved to purchase that region from the Indians, and throw it 
open to emigration. Efforts were made during 1875 to induce the Sioux 
to sell their lands, but they refused to do so. They had never been 
really willing to retire to the reservations to which the treaty of 1867 
confined them, and now took advantage of the intrusion of the whites 
into their territor}' to gratify their long-cherished wish for war. They 
broke away from their reservation, and made repeated forays into Wyom- 
ing and Montana, laid the country waste, carried ofi" the horses and cattle, 
and murdered such settlers as ventured to oppose them. 

This brought matters to a crisis, and early in 1876 the government 
resolved to drive the Sioux back to their reservation. A force of regular 
troops, under Generals Terry and Cook, was sent into the difficult and 
mountainous region of the upper Yellowstone, and an active campaign 
was begun against the Indians. The force was too small for the work 
required of it, but in spite of this, succeeded in forcing the savages back 
to the Big Horn mountains. On the 25th of June, 1876, the seventh 



From the civil war to the present time. 



479 



cavalry under 
General Custer, 
was defeated and 
cut to pieces to a 
man by an over- 
whelming force of 
Indians. It was 
the most terrible 
reverse ever suf- 
fered by the Amer- 
ican army at the 
hands of the sav- 
ages. 

The popular in- 
dignation compell- 
ed the government 
to hurry reinforce- 
ments tothe scene 
of war, and Gen- 
erals Terry and 
Cook were able to 
conduct the cam- 
paign with more 
vigor. The Indians 
were beaten in a 
number of engage- 
ments, and on the 
24th of Novem- 
ber suffered a 
decisive defeat in 
a battle with the 




INDIANS SURPRISED AND DEFEATED. 



fourth cavalry, under Colonel McKenzie, at one of the passes of the 
Horn mountains. Negotiations were in progress during the 



Big 



480 FROM THE CIVIL WAR TO THE PRESENT TIME. 

summer and autumn for the removal of the Sioux to the ladian 
territory, and by the beginning of the winter the majority of them had 
surrendered. A few bands, under Sitting Bull and Crazy Horse, con- 
tinued in the field. They were not allowed to remain in security 
during the winter, but were pushed vigorously. 

On the 8th of January, 1877, a decisive victory was won over the 
baud of Crazy Horse, at Wolf mountains, in Montana territory, by a 
force of infantry and artillery under General Miles. This victory led 
to the surrender of other bands of Indians, and early in 1877, the opera- 
tions against Sitting Bull obliged that chief to take refuge in the terri- 
tory of British America. By the spring of 1877, ^^^ ^^'^r had been 
practically brought to a close. 

NOMINATIONS FOR THE PRESIDENCY. 

In the summer of 1876, the various political parties of the Union 
met in their respective conventions to nominate candidates for the 
offices of President and Vice-President of the United States. The 
candidates of the republican party were : for president, Rutherford B. 
Hayes, of Ohio ; for vice-president, William A. Wheeler, of New York. 
The democratic candidates were: for president, Samuel J. Tilden, of 
New York ; for vice-president, Thomas A. Hendricks, of Indiana. A 
third party, called the independent greenback party, nominated Peter 
Cooper, of New York, for president, and Samuel F. Cary, of Ohio, for 
vice-president. 

The campaign which followed these nominations was one of unpre- 
cedented bitterness, and was conducted b}- the republican party upon 
distinct sectional issues ; the old wounds of the civil war were torn open, 
and threats of a new conflict freeh^ indulged in. The election was held 
on the 7th of November. The popular vote was as follows : for Samuel 
J. Tilden, 4,284,265 ; for Rutherford B. Hayes, 4,033,295 ; for Peter 
Cooper, 81,737. Tilden thus received a majority of 250,970 popular votes 
over Hayes, and a majority of 169,233 votes over both Hayes and Cooper. 

In the electoral colleges 1S5 votes were necessary to a choice. Of 



FROM THE CIVIL WAR TO TIIK PRESENT TIME. 181 

this number Governor Tilden received 184 and Governor Hayes 163 
undisputed votes. The votes of the states of Florida, Louisiana, South 
Carolina, and Oregon — twenty-two in number — were claimed by both 
parties for their respective candidates. It was declared by the democrats 
that, even conceding the votes of Oregon and Soiith Carolina to Mr. 
Hayes, Mr. Tilden had fairly carried both Florida and Louisiun;i, and 
was entitled to 196 electoral votes. The revision of the vote in Florida 
and Louisiana had been confided, since the reorganization of those states, 
to returning boards, which bodies had power to manipulate the votes of the 
people of their respective states to an extent sufficient to make the 
result what they pleased. 

CONTROVERSY OVER THE ELECTORAL VOTE. 

In consequence of this, it had several times happened in Louisiana 
that the returning board had, after canvassing the vote, announced a result 
entirely at variance with the vote at the polls. In the present case these 
boards were republican in their composition. In the Florida board there 
was one democratic member, but in the Louisiana board the place of the 
democratic member was vacant, and the board refused to fill the vacancy, 
leaving the board entirely republican. 

Congress met on the 4th of December, 1876. The House of Repre- 
sentatives was organized by the democratic majority by the election of 
Samuel J. Randall, of Pennsylvania, as speaker. Immediately upon the 
organization of Congress the question of the manner of counting the 
electoral votes of the state came up in that body. The republican 
majority in the senate claimed that, by the terms of the constitution, the 
vice-president was compelled to open the certificates of the states in the 
presence of the two Houses of Congress, in joint convention, and declare 
the result, the two houses being present merely as witnesses of the count 
by the vice-president. With this view the republicans in the lower house 
agreed. 

The democrats in both houses maintained that while the constitution 
required the vice-president to open the certificates and count the electoral 

31 



4S-2 FROM THE CIVIL WAR TO THE PRESENT TIMK 

votes, the two houses of Congress were made the judges of the legality 
of these certificates, and that, in the case of the presentation of two 
certificates from the same state, the two houses were the rightful j udges 
of which was the proper one; and that, in the event of a failure of the 
two houses to agree in such a decision, the vote of such state must be 
rejected. In support of this view they brought forward the twenty- 
second joint rule of Congress, adopted February 6th. 1S65, by a republican 
Congress, and under which the counting of the electoral vote iu 1S65, 
iSbQ, and 1S73, had been conducted. 

DISAGREEMENT IN CONGRESS. 

This rule was designed to secure a republican triumph at the time 
of its passage, but in January, 1S76, when it was evident that, the House 
of Representatives having become democratic, the rule would be used by 
the democrats for their own advantage, the Senate, still republican, 
passed a concurrent resolution adopting the joint rules of the previous 
session of Congress as the joint rules for that session, "excepting the 
twenty-second joint rule." The House failed to act upon the resolution. 
At the opeuing of the session in December, 1S76. the president of the 
Senate ruled that there were no joint rules in operation. The speaker of 
the House, on the other hand, ruled that the joint rules previously exist- 
ing still existed. Thus the issue between the two houses was distinctly 
made. 

The danger was so great that patriotic men of both parties in 
Congress set to work to devise some means of settlement. It was plain 
that this could be accomplished only by a compromise. A conference 
committee was appointed by each house, which committee, after a long 
deliberation, reported to the two houses of Congress a bill providing for 
the appointment of a commission, to consist of fifteen members. Five 
of these were to be appointed by the Senate, and five by the House of 
Representatives. The remaining five were to be chosen from the justices 
of the Supreme Court. 

Four of the justices were designated bv the bill ; the fifth was to be 



FROM THE CIVIL WAR TO THE PRESENT TIME. 



483 



chosen by the justices named in the bill. The bill provided for the 
meeting of the two houses of Congress in joint convention on the first 
Thursday in February. The votes were to be opened by the vice-president, 
and counted by tellers appointed for the purpose. Each house was to 
have the right to object to the vote of a state, but in cases whe're only one 
certificate was presented, the objection must be sustained by the 
affirmative vote of both houses. If not so sustained, the objection must 
fall and the vote be counted. 

The decision of the commission, with the reasons therefor, was to 
be submitted to the two houses of Con- 
gress. Should objection be made by five 
senators and five representatives to the 
commission, the two houses were to 
separate and discuss the said objections, 
the time allowed for debate being limited 
by the bill ; but unless both houses 
should agree to sustain the objections, 
the decision of the commission should 
stand. 

This plan met with considerable 
favor from the conservative element 
of both houses, but was strongly 
opposed by the more ultra of both THOMAS F. BAYARD, 

parties. It was debated at length and with great vigor. It passed the 
Senate on the 25th of January, 1877, by a vote of 47 yeas and 17 nays ; 
ten senators not voting. The vote in the House was taken the next day, 
and stood, yeas, 191; nays, 89; fourteen representatives not voting. The 
members of the commission were promptly appointed. They were as 
follows : Justices Clifford, Strong, Miller, Field and Bradley of the 
Supreme Court; Senators Edmunds, Morton, Frelinghuysen, Thurman 
and Bayard ; and Representatives Payne, Hunton, Abbott, Garfield and 
Hoar. 

The two houses of Congress met in joint convention on the ist of 




481 FROM THE CIVIL WAR TO THE PRESENT TIME. 

February, 1S77, and began the counting of the electoral vote. When the 
vote of Florida was reached, three certificates were presented and were 
referred to the electoral connnissiou. This body, upon hearing the argu- 
ments of the counsel of the democratic and republican parties, decided that 
it had no pbwer to go behind the action of the returning board, and the 
certificate of that bodj' giving the vote of that state to Haves must be 
accepted bj- the two houses of Congress. The vote by which this decision 
was reached stood eight (all republicans) against it. The party line 
appearing thus so sharply in the commission mortified and disgusted 
the whole country, which had looked to the commission for a decision 
that should be beyond question. 

RESULT OF THE INVESTIGATION. 

A similar conclusion was come to in the case of Louisiana. Objec- 
tions were made to the reception of the votes of Oregon and South 
Carolina. In the Oregon case the decision was unanimousl 3' in favor of 
counting the votes of the Hayes electors. In the South Carolina case the 
commission decided that the democratic electors were not lawfully chosen; 
but on the motion to give the state to Haj-es, the vote stood eight j'eas to 
seven nays. So South Carolina was counted for Hayes. Objection was 
made, on the ground of ineligibility, to certain electors from Michigan, 
Nevada, Pennsylvania, Rhode Island, Vermont and Wisconsin, but the 
objections were not sustained by the two houses. 

The final result was reached at ten minutes after four o'clock on the 
morning of the 2nd of March, 1877. The counting of the votes of the 
states having been concluded, Mr. Allison, one of the tellers on the part 
of the Senate, announced the result of the footings ; whereupon the pre- 
siding officer of the two houses declared Rutherford B. Haj-es, of Ohio, 
the duly elected president, and William A. Wheeler, of New York, the 
duly elected vice-president, for the term of four years, commencing on 
the 4th of March, 1877. 

Rutherford B. Hayes, the nineteenth president of the United States, 
was inaugurated at Washington, on Monday, the 5th of March, 1S77. 



FROM THE CIVIL WAR TO THE PRESENT TIME. 485 

In the fall of 1880, three parties contested the succession to the 
pre. idency. The candidates were James A.Garfield, republican, Win- 
field S. Hancock, democrat, and J. B. Weaver, greenback. The election 
was held on the 2d of November, when the electoral votes stood ; Gar- 
field, 214 ; Hancock, 155. James A. Garfield, having been duly elected, 
was inaugurated at Washington on the 4th of March, 1881. 

ASSASSINATION OF PRESIDENT GARFIELD. 

On the 2d of July, 1881, the president left the White House, in 
company with Secretary of State Blaine, for the Baltimore depot, for the 
purpose of starting upon a trip to New England. As he was passing 
through the ladies' waiting-room of the depot, he was fired at twice, by 
Charles J. Guiteau, and was struck by both balls, one of which inflicted 
a slight wound in his right arm, the second producing a terrible wound 
in his right side. 

The news of the dastardly attempt on the president's life filled the 
whole country with horror and indignation, and every phase of the long 
illness of the president was watched with painful anxiety. 

After lingering until the 6th of September, the president was 
removed to Long Branch, in the hope that the pure air of the seashore 
would enable him to rally from the terrible drain upon his system caused 
by his wound. Alarming symptoms set in on the i6th of September, 
and on the night of the 19th, President Garfield died. 

Immediately upon receiving the news of the president's death, the 
vice-president, Chester A. Arthur, took the oath of office as President of 
the United States, at his residence in New York, at two o'clock on the 
morning of September 20th. He was again sworn into office, by the 
chief justice of the United States, and inaugurated in the capitol 
at Washington, on the 22d of September. 

The trial of Guiteau for the murder of President Garfield began 
November 14th, 1881 ; he was found guilty on the 25th of January, 1882 ; 
and was hanged on the 30th of June following. 

In the summer of 1884 the various political parties met in their 



48ti 



FROM THE CIVIL WAR TO THE PRESENT TIME, 



respective conventions to nominate candidates for the offices of President 
and \'ice-Prcsident of the United States. The candidates of the demo- 
cratic party were, for President, Grover Cleveland, and for Vice-Presi- 
dent Thomas A. Hendricks. The repnblicau candidates were, for 
President, James G. Blaine, and for Vice-President, John A. Logan. The 
prohibition candidates were, for President, John P. St. John, and for 
Vice-President, William Daniel. The candidates of the greenback or 
people's part)' were, for President, Benjamin F. Bntler, and for Vice- 
President, A. U. West. The popular vote was as follows : for Grover 
Cleveland, 4,910,790; for James G. Blaine. 4,844,848 ; for John P. St. 

John, 150,820 ; for Benjamin F. Butler, 
134,262 ; making a total vote of 10,040,729. 
Cleveland received a majority of 65,951 
votes over Blaine. 

In the electoral college 201 votes 
wore necessary to a choice. Of the total 
number Grover Cleveland received 219 and 
James G. Blaine 182 votes. Grover Cleve- 
land, having been duly elected, was inau- 
gurated at Washington on the 4th of 
March, 1885. 

On the 4th of March, 1S85, the day 

J.\MES G. BLAINE. ^^f President Cleveland's inauguration, 

ex-President Gram was placed on the retired list of the army. His 

death occurred on the jvi of July. Demonstrations of public respect 

attended his obsequies. 

.\t the general election on the 6th of November, 18S8. Hon. Ben- 
jamin Harrison, of Indiana, and Hon. Levi P. Morton, of New York, 
were elected president and vice-president. President Harrison was 
inaugurated March 4, 1880. 

President Harrison'sadministrationwassigfnalized by the enactment of 
the McKinley tariff bill, and measures for greatly increasing the strength 
ofthenav}-. Other important transactions of his administration were 




FROM THE Civil. WAR TO THK PRESFINT TIME. 



'JR7 



carried on by Mr. Blaine, .secretary of .state, for reciprocity with ihc 
South American .states, and the settlement of the seal fisheries disputes 
with Kngland. 

The national election on November 8, 1892, resulted in the success 
of the democratic party by a large majority. The official returns showed 
that Cleveland and Stevenson obtained 278 electors, or 55 more than a 
majority of the electoral college. President Cleveland's second inaugu- 
ration took place on March 4, 1893. 

Great financial depression overspread the country during this year. 
The Bland bill providing for the coining of the silver seigniorage, having 
passed Congress, was vetoed by the presi- 
dent, March 27, 1894. Congress then oc- 
cupied itself with legislation on the tariff". 

In the presidential election of 1896 
Hon. William McKinley, the candidate of 
the republican party, received 7, 101,401 of 
the popular vote, and Hon. William J. 
Bryan, candidate of the democratic party, 
received 6,470,656. Mr. McKinley was in- 
augurated president on the 4th of March,! 
1897, and Hon. Garrett Hobart was inducted 
into the office of vice-president. joun a. i.(j<,an. 

Mr. McKinley immediately called an extra session of Congress, which 
assembled on March 15th, for the express purpose of revising llic tariff, 
providing a revenue sufficient for the wants of the government, and plac- 
ing the finances of the nation upon a sound basis. The struggle in Cuba 
for independence was the one absorbing topic that occupied the attention 
of the entire country. 

A profound sensation was created by the destruction of llic United 
vStates battleship " Maine " in the harbor of Havana. The " Maine " was 
lying in the harbor, having been sent to Cuba on a friendly vi.sit. On the 
evening of February 15111 a teyrific explosion took place on board 
the battleship, by which 266 sailors and officers lost their lives and 




488 



FROM THE CIVIL WAR TO THE PRESENT TIME. 



the vessel was totally wrecked. The cause of the explosion was not 
apparent. 

A naval board of inquiry went to Havana, and proceeded promptly to 
investigate the causes of the explosion that destroj-ed the battleship. 
The further the inquiry into the causes that led to the " Maine " disaster 
proceeded, the more remote appeared the chances that any evidence would 
be discovered to show that the disaster was due to accident. The follow- 
ing were the conclusions of the 
Board of Inquiry : 

''The court finds that the 
loss of the 'Maine' on the occa- 
sion named was not in anj'^ re- 
spect due to fault or negligence 
on the part of the officers or 
men of the crew of said vessel. 
In the opinion of the court the 
' Maine ' was destroyed by the 
explosion of a submarine mine, 
which caused the partial explo- 
sion of two of her forward mag- 
azines. The court has been 
unable to obtain, evidence fixing 
the responsibilit}' for the de- 
struction of the 'Maine' upon any person or persons." 

Following the destruction of the battleship "Maine," which, as 
alreadv noted, stirred the resentment of the entire country- to a marked 
degree, negotiations were continued by our government with Spain for 
the purpose of putting an end to the war in Cuba, which it was admitted 
by all, had been attended by intolerable cruelties. On April nth, 1S9S, 
Pesideut McKinley sent a message on the subject to Congress in which 
the necessity for intervention to put a stop to the terrible struggle that 
had been so long in progress with such disastrous results to our com- 
mercial interests and which was a constant menace to our peace, compel- 




l.K\"l r. MORTON. 



FROM THE CIVIL WAR TO THE PRESENT TIME. 



489 



ling the United States to keep on a semi-war footing with a nation with 
which we are at peace, was pointed out in a most forceful manner and the 
reasons in justification of intervention were stated with a conciseness 
that materially added to their weight and impressiveness. 

A week later resolutions passed both houses of Congress calling 
upon our government to intervene and demand independence for Cuba. 
Our ultimatum to Spain embodying the demands of the resolutions of 
Congress was delivered to the Spanish Minister at Washington on the 
20th. He immediately 
called for and received his 
passports, and left for Can- 
ada. The same ultimatum 
was sent to the Spanish 
government at Madrid, and 
on April 21st, United States 
Minister Woodford was 
curtly handed his passports, 
thereby severing all diplo- 
matic relations between the 
two governments. 

Aggressive measures 
were at once adopted by 
the authorities at Washing- 
ton, and on April 2 2d Ad- 
miral Sampson blockaded the port of Havana with the North Atlantic 
squadron. On the same date the United States gunboat "Nashville" 
captured the Spanish merchantman "Buena Ventura " in the Gulf of 
Mexico. In this capture the first gun of the war was fired. On the next 
day President McKinley promulgated a resolution of Congress calling 
for 125,000 volunteers. 

The forts near Havana and elsewhere on the coast oi Cuba were 
bombarded by Admiral Sampson's squadron, but the first great victory 
of the war was that of the United States Asiatic fleet, under Admiral 




HON'. OARRET A. HOBART. 



490 FROM THE CIVIL WAR TO THE PRESENT TIME. 

Dewey, which practically destroyed the Spanish squadron in the Philip- 
pines in the battle of Manila on the ist of May. The fighting was of 
the fiercest character, beginning in the early morning and lasting several 
hours, and the bravery of the American seamen was of the highest 
character. 

The forts on both sides of Manila were well supplied with Spanish 
guns, and during the engagement these kept up a constant fire upon the 
American ships. The opposing ships were enveloped in a cloud of 
smoke, weighted by the early morning air, and the incessant crack of the 
rapid-fire guns and booming of the big artillery mingled into resounding 
thunder. Several of the Spanish ships were deliberately blown up to 
prevent their capture by the American fleet. From the bridge of his 
flag-ship, the "Olympia," Dewey directed all the movements of his fleet, 
which had boldly sailed into the harbor regardless of the fact that it was 
well mined by the Spanish. The American ships moved slowly in a 
circle and engaged the Spanish vessels, pouring into them a well-directed 
fire. The victory of the American squadron was complete, without the 
loss of a single man and with only a few wounded, and the Spanish fleet 
was either wholly disabled or totally destroyed. 

THANKS TO ADMIRAL DEWEY AND HIS MEN. 

The news of this overwhelming naval victory was received with 
great interest both in America and Europe, and in honor of his dis- 
tinguished services, Dewey, whose rank was that of Commodore at the 
time of the battle, was raised to the rank of Admiral, and Congress 
passed a series of resolutions thanking him and his men for services 
rendered their country. 

On May nth, Ensign Bagley, of the torpedo boat " Win slow," and 
five men were killed, and five others were wounded, in Cardenas harbor, 
on the northern coast of Cuba, in an engagement with Spanish gun- 
boats. The Americans displayed great bravery in the face of danger, 
the action of the United States gunboat " Hudson " being especially 
notable in going to the rescue of the " Winslow " and towing her out of 



FROM THE CIVIL WAR TO THE PRESENT TIME. 491 

range of the enemy's fire. Ensign Bagley was the first to lose his life 
in the war. On the same date there was an engagement between United 
States vessels and Spanish troops at Cienfuegos on the southern coast of 
Cuba. One American was killed and six badly wounded. 

On May 1 2th General Wesley Merritt was appointed Military Gov- 
ernor of the Philippines, and orders were given for troops to be sent to 
Manila for the purpose of capturing the town and ocupying the Island. 
Agreeably to this order the cruiser " Charleston " sailed on May i8th 
for Manila, loaded with supplies and ammunition. 

SPANISH FLEET IN THE WEST INDIES. 

It was known that the Spanish government had despatched a for- 
midable fleet under Admiral Cervera for the West Indies, but great 
mystery attended the movements of this squadron. On May 19th the 
long suspense occasioned by the difl&culty of ascertaining what Admiral 
Cervera intended to do with his fleet was over, and it was definitely 
known that his vessels were entrapped in the harbor of Santiago. The 
government resolved to send troops at once to that point to aid the fleet 
in capturing the town. While it was known that the Spanish vessels 
were inside the harbor of Santiago, it was considered impossible for our 
battleships to enter the harbor on account of mines which had been 
planted, and the formidable attack sure to be made by batteries on 
shore. 

The entrance to the harbor of Santiago is very narrow, and vessels 
are compelled at one point to go through a channel not much over three 
hundred feet wide. Here occurred on the morning of June 3d one of 
the most gallant acts recorded in the annals of naval warfare. Lieuten- 
ant Hobson, naval constructor on the flagship of Admiral Sampson, 
conceived the plan of blocking this narrow entrance by sinking the 
collier "Merrimac," thus "bottling up" Cervera and his fleet. 

Taking with him seven picked men out of hundreds of volunteers 
who were eager for the perilous undertaking, Lieutenant Hobson boldly 
ran the " Merrimac " into the mouth of the harbor. Lieutenant Powell, 



492 FROM THE CIVIL WAR TO THE PRESENT TIME. 

with another company of picked men, followed him with a launch to 
rescue the crew of the " Merrimac." 

Lying closer in than the warships, Powell had seen the firing when 
the "Merrimac" and her crew, then well inside Morro Castle, were 
probably first discovered by the Spaniards. He also heard an explosion, 
which may have been caused by Hobson's torpedoes. The ensign was 
not sure. He waited vainly, hoping to rescue the heroes of the "Merri- 
mac," until he was shelled out by the forts. 

HEROIC BAND SAVED BY CERVERA. 

The work, however, was done. The big vessel had been swung 
across the narrow entrance to the harbor, the torpedoes had been fired, 
the explosion had come, the great collier was sinking at just the right 
point ; and her gallant crew, having jumped into the water to save their 
lives, were taken on board the flagship of the Spanish admiral, who 
praised their bravery, and sent an ofiicer under flag of truce to assure 
Admiral Sampson the heroic band was safe and would be well cared for. 

On June 13th, about 16,000 men under General Shafter left Key 
West for Santiago, and on June 22nd the troops were landed at Baiquiri, 
on the southern coast of Cuba. The landing was very successful, having 
been accomplished in two days, with the loss of onl}' two men, and 
that b}- accident. Preparations were immediateh' made to move the 
army forward toward Santiago, with a view to capturing the town. 

It was not long after General Shafter's army landed before the 
United States troops were engaged in active service and had a sharp con- 
flict with the enemy. The initial fight of Colonel Wood's Rough-Ridcrs 
and the troopers of the First and Tenth Regular Cavalry will be known 
in history as the battle of La Quasina. 

For an hour and a half the Americans held their ground under a 
storm of biillets from the front and sides, and then Colonel Wood, at 
the right, and Lieutenant-Colonel Roosevelt, at the left, led a charge 
which turned the tide of battle and sent the enemy flying over the hills 
toward Santiago. 



FROM THE CIVIL WAR TO THE PRESENT TIME 493 

It is definitely known that sixteen men on the American side were 
killed, while sixty were wonnded or reported to be missing. It is impos- 
sible to calculate the Spanish losses, but it is known that they were far 
heavier than those of the Americans, at least as regards actual loss of 
life. Thirty-seven dead Spanish soldiers were found and buried, while 
many others were undoubtedly lying in the thick underbrush on the 
side of the gullv and on the slope of the hill. 

FORWARD MOVEMENT OF OUR TROOPS. 

The American officers showed the utmost energy in preparing for 
the attack on Santiago ; by July ist everything was in readiness, and Gen- 
eral Shafter ordered a forward movement with a view of investing and cap- 
turing the town. The advance was made in two divisions, the left storming 
the works at San Juan. Our forces in this assault were composed of the 
Rough-Riders, commanded by Lieutenant-Colonel Roosevelt, and the 
First, Third, Sixth, Ninth and Tenth Dismounted Cavalry. Catching 
the enthusiasm and boldness of the Rough-Riders, these men rushed 
against the San Juan defences with a fury that was irresistible. There 
was terrible fightiug about the heights during the next two hours. While 
the Rough-Riders were playing such havoc in the enemy's lines, the 
Frst, Third, Sixth, Ninth and Tenth Cavalry gallantly pressed forward 
to right and left. 

Before the afternoon was far gone these organizations made one 

grand rush all along the line, capturing the San Juan fortification, and 

sending the enemy in mad haste off toward Santiago. It was but three 

o'clock when these troops were able to send word to General Shafter that 

they had possession of the position he had given them a day to 

capture. 

In this attack the cavalrymen were supported by the Sixth and 

Sixteenth Infantry, who made a brilliant charge at the crucial moment. 

The advance was up a long steep slope, through a heavy underbrush. 

Our men were subjected to a terrific fire from the enemy's trenches, and 

the Rough Riders and the Sixth Cavalry suffered severely. 



494 FROM THE CIVIL WAR TO THK PRESENT TIME. 

General Shafter's advance against the city of Santiago was resumed 
soon after da3-break on the morning of Julj' 2d. The American troops 
renewed the attack on the Spanish defences with impetuous enthusiasm. 
They were not daunted by the heavy losses sustained in the first day's 
fighting. Inspired by the great advantages they had gained en the pre- 
ceding da}', the American troops were eager to make the final assault on 
the citj' itself. 

When the attack began the command of General Lawton occupied 
a position between Caney and Santiago, within three-quarters of a mile 
of the city. The Rough Riders, with Lieutenant-Colonel Roosevelt in 
command, were but a short distance further from the city, to the north- 
west of Aguadores. Between these troops, presenting a solid front along 
the entire eastern side of the citj-, was the main bod}- of General 
Shafter's army. 

COMBINED ATTACK OF ARMY AND NAVY. 

Our forces began the day's fighting, hoping that the cit}' would fall 
into their hands before dark. Their advance had been an uninterrupted 
series of successes, they having forced the Spaniards to retreat from 
each new position as fast as it had been taken. Admiral Sampson, with 
his entire fleet, joined in the attack. General Shafter, by sending forces 
to the soutb of Caney during the first day's fighting, made it impossible 
for the Spaniards in that village to fall back into Santiago when they 
were driven from their position. 

It was estimated that the American losses in the first day's fighting, 
including killed and wounded, were over one thousand. The battles 
before the intrenchments around Santiago resulted in advantage to 
General Shafter's army. Gradually he approached the city, holding 
every foot of ground gained. In the fighting of July 2d, the Spanish 
were forced back into the to\^'n, their commanding general was wounded, 
and the day closed with the certaint}- that soon our flag would float 
over Santiago. 

The fleet of Admiral Cers-era had long been shut up in the harbor, 



FROM THE CIVIL WAR TO THE PRESENT TIME. 495 

and during- the two days' fighting gave effective aid to the Spanish 
infantry by throwing shells into the ranks of the Americans. On the 
morning of July 3d, another great naval victory was added to the 
success of the American arms, a victory no less complete and memor- 
able than that achieved by Dewey at Manila. 

SPANISH SHIPS SUNKEN AND DESTROYED. 

Admiral Cervera's fleet, consisting of the armored cruisers "Chris- 
tobal Colon," " Almirante Oquendo," "Infanta Maria Teresa" and "Vis- 
caya," and two torpedo-boat destroyei^s, the "Furor" and "Pluton," 
which had been held in the harbor of Santiago de Cuba for six weeks 
by the combined squadrons of Rear-Admiral Sampson and Commodore 
Schley, was sent to the bottom of the Caribbean Sea off the southern 
coast of Cuba. 

The Spanish admiral was made a prisoner of war on the auxiliary 
gunboat " Gloucester," and all his officers and sailors who escaped the 
frightful carnage caused by the shells from the American warships, 
were made prisoners of war by the United States navy. The American 
victory was complete, and the American vessels were practically 
uninjured, and only one man was killed, though the ships were 
subjected to the heavy fire of the Spaniards all the time the battle lasted. 

The brilliant success of the American troops in the battles around 
Santiago and the memorable naval victory, resulting in the total destruc- 
tion of Admiral Cervera's fleet, hastened the end of the war. General 
Shafter at once demanded from General Toral, the Spanish commander, 
the surrender of the city of Santiago. Ten days were consumed in the 
negotiations, and the formal surrender was not effected until July 14th, 
and on the 17th the American flag was hoisted over the city. The 
surrender included the entire province of Santiago, with guns, ammuni- 
tion, military stores and 25,000 Spanish officers and men. 

A United States military expedition under the command of Major- 
General Nelson A. Miles, commanding the army of the United States 
left Guantanamo Bay, Cuba, during the evening of July 21st and 



496 



FROM THE CIVIL WAR TO THI'. PRESENT TIME. 



landed successfully at Guanica, Porto Rico, July 25tli, after a skirmish 
with a detachment of the Spanish troops and a crew of thirtj' belonging 
to the launch of the United States auxiliary gunboat "Gloucester." Four 
of the Spaniards were killed and no Americans were hurt- 




GENERAL NELSON A. MILES. 

General Miles' first intention was to land at another point, but on 
July 26th he sent the following dispatch to the Secretary of War at 
Washington : 

" Circumstances were such that I deemed it advisable to take the 
harbor of Guanica first, fifteen miles west of Ponce, which was success- 
fully accomplished between daylight and 1 1 o'clock. Spaniards sur- 
prised. The ' Gloucester,' Commander Waiuwright, first entered the 



FROM THE CIVIL WAR TO THE PRESENT TIME. 497 

harbor ; met with slight resistance ; fired a few shots. All the trans- 
ports are now in the- harbor, and infantry and artillery rapidly going 
ashore. This is a well-protected harbor. Water snfficicnlly deep for 
all transports and heavy vessels to anchor within two hnndrcd \'ards of 
the shore. The Spanish flag was lowered and the American flag raised 
at II o'clock to-day. Captain Higginson, with his (led, has rendered 
able and earnest assistance. Troops in good health and best of spirits. 
No casnalties. " 

It was announced, July 2.Sth, that the Port of Ponce had surren- 
dered without resistance to the American troops, who were everywhere 
received with enthusiasm. With the exception of a few minor engage- 
ments, General Miles' army had a victorious inarch through Port Rico, 
and soon occupied San Juan, the principal town on the northern coast. 

PRESIDENT McKINLEY'S PROCLAMATION OF PEACE. 

On the evening of August 12th President McKinley issm-d a pro- 
clamation stating that " by a protocol concluded and signed Augu.st 
1 2th, 1898, by William R. Day, vSecretary of State of the United vStates,aud 
his excellency Jules Cambon, Ambassador fvxtraordinary and Minister 
Plenipotentiary of the Republic of France at Washington, respectively 
representing for this purpose the Government of the United States and 
the Government of Spain, the United States and vSpain have formally 
agreed upon the terms on which negotiations for the establi.?hment of 
peace between the two countries shall be undertaken." 

Missages were immediately sent to all army and navy commanders 
announcing that the war was ended and ordering them to cease hostil- 
ities. Before the message reached Manila, Admiral Dewey and General 
Mcrritt resolved to capture the city. The warships bombarded the forts 
on August 13th, and the land forces at the same time made an attack. 
After a spirited resistance by the Spaniards they surrendered. 

Details of the battle before Manila showed that the American land 
and naval forces captured the city after .several hours of fighting. 
Thirteen thousand prisoners, twenty-two thousand rifles, a number of 

32 



498 FROM TllK CI VI I. WAR TO TH1-: PRESENT TIME, 

field-guns and an ininicnsc quantity of ammunition fell into the hands 
of the victors. The fortifications and shore defences and part of the 
city itself were destroyed by American shot and shell during a terrific 
bombardment of two hours by eight ships of Admiral Dewey's fleet. 
The Americans killed lost their lives in storming the Spanish trenches, 
when they swept everything before them like a whirlwind. 

COMMISSIONERS OF THE TWO GOVERNMENTS. 

On August 24th it was announced that the following American 
Peace Commissioners to settle the terms of peace with Spain had been 
selected by President McKinley : William R. Day, of Canton, Ohio, 
Secretary of State ; Cushmau K. Davis, Uuited States Senator from 
Minnesota, Chairman of the Foreign Relations Committee ; William P. 
Frve, United States Senator from Maine, member of the Foreign Rela- 
tions Committee; Whitelaw Reid, of New York, for several years 
American Ambassador to the French Republic ; and George Gra5% 
United States Senator from Delaware. The Commissioners on behalf of 
Spain were the eminent statesmen : Eugeuio !Montero Rios, B. De 
Abarazuza, J. D. Garnica, W. R. De V^illi-Urrutia, and Rafael Cerero. 
The sessions of the Peace Commission were to be held in Paris, com- 
mencing not later than October ist and continuing until an agreement 
was reached. 

On the 28th of November, 1S9S, the Peace Commissioners appointed 
by the United States and Spanish Governments reached an agreement 
respecting the terms for establishing peace between the two nations. On 
the basis of these terms a formal treaty was drawn up, which was signed 
on the loth of December and at once sent to President McKinley, who 
transmitted it to the Senate for ratification. The treaty contained the 
following essential features : 

Spain relinquishes all claim of sovereignty over and title to Cuba. 

Spain cedes to the United States the island of Porto Rico and other 
islands now under Spanish sovereignty in the West Indies, and the island 
of Guam in the Marianas or Ladrones. 



FROM THE CIVIL WAR TO Till-: PRESENT TIME. 499 

The United States will jDay to Spain the .sum of twenty million dol- 
lars ($20,000,000) within three months after the exchange of the ratifi- 
cations of the present treaty. 

The United States will, for the term of ten years from the date of 
the exchange of the ratifications of the present treaty, admit Spanish 
ships and merchandise to the ports of the Philippine Islands on the 
same terms as ships and merchandise of the United vStates. 

PROVISIONS OF THE TREATY OF PEACE. 

The United States will send back to Spain at its own cost Spanish 
soldiers taken as prisoners of war in the capture of Manila, and Spain 
will release all prisoners of war in Cuba and the Philippines. 

The two countries mutually agree to relinquish all claims for 
indemnity. 

All Spanish troops are to relinquish at once all territories ceded to 
the United States or any over which the United States is to assume 
jurisdiction. 

The remaining provisions of the treaty related to matters of detail 
for the complete execution of the above essential features of the agree- 
ment between the two countries. 

The insurgent army of Aguinaldo, which had resolutely maintained 
its position near Manila after the town was surrendered by the Spaniards 
to the American soldiers and sailors, made a fierce attack on the American 
lines in the evening of February 4, 1899. Defeated in their desperate 
effort, the insurgent forces, after fourteen hours of continuous fighting, 
were driven from the villages of Santa Anna, Paco, and Santa Mesa. 
They were compelled to retreat to a position quite a distance further out 
in the suburbs than the one they held before attacking the city. The 
losses of the insurgents were heavy, the American ti'oops having gone 
into the engagement with great enthusiasm and determination. They 
made the streets of the city ring with their cheers when they were noti- 
fied of the attack and were ordered to advance. Several of the vessels 
in Admiral Dewey's squadron participated in the fight, firing on the 



500 FROM THE CIVIL WAR TO THE PRESENT TIME. 

natives iu Malate and Caloocau, and driving them inland from both of 
those places. 

The treaty of peace was ratified in the executive session of the 
United States Senate, February 6th, by a vote of 57 to 27, the supporters 
of the treaty mustering but a single vote more than the necessar}- two- 
thirds. Not since the excitement immediately following the destruction 
of the battleship "Maine" were the people of Washington so aroused as 
they were when the treaty was voted upon in the Senate. The Capitol 
halls and corridors were thronged from earl}- morning with crowds who 
were intent upon witnessing the proceedings. The fact that our flag had 
been insulted and our soldiers and sailors at Manila subjected to wounds 
and death accentuated national interest in the pending treaty. 

VICTORIES FOR AMERICAN TROOPS. 

Further militarj^ operations in the Philippines resulted in more 
victories for the American troops, who routed the insurgents and held 
them in check. The United States forces, under Brigadier-General Miller 
captured Iloilo, capital of the Island of Panay, and seat of the so-called 
government of the Visayan Federation, on February 11, 1899, after a 
bombardment. The rebels set the town on fire before evacuating it, but 
the American troops extinguished the flames. There were no casualties 
on the American side. 

General Miller, on receipt of his instructions from Manila, sent 
native commissioners ashore from the United States transport "St. Paul" 
with a communication for the rebel governor of Iloilo, calling on him to 
siirrender within a time stated and warning him not to make a demonstra- 
tion in the interval. The rebels immediatelj' moved their guns and pre- 
pared to defend their position. The ''Petrel "fired two warning guns. The 
rebels immediately opened fire on her. The "Petrel " and "Baltimore " 
then bombarded the town, which the rebels, having set on fire, immediatel}' 
evacuated. American troops were promptly landed and extinguished the 
fires iu all cases of foreign property, but not before considerable damage 
had been done. 



FROM THE CIVIL WAR TO THE PRESENT TIME. 501 

On February 21st the transport "Newport" arrived at Manila from 
Iloilo, having on board Senor Aranita, the presideutof the provisional gov" 
ernment of Negros, and other representative natives of the island. 
They called npon the American authorities. These men visited General 
Miller at Iloilo and discussed the situation with him. They then 
returned to Silay, the principal town in the northern part of Negros, 
and hoisted the American flag. The flag was also raised at Bacoloo, the 
capital of the island, and was saluted with twenty-one guns. 

It was soon ascertained that the island of Cebu, one of the most 
important of the Vasayas group of the Philippines, was ready to submit 
to the authority of the United States. It hoisted the American flag on 
Washington's birthday, February 2 2d, 1899. 

CAMPAIGN AGAINST THE INSURGENTS. 

Early in March General Otis began an aggressive campaign for 
the purpose of driving back the insurgents and affording security to the 
peacefiil inhabitants of Manila and the surrounding country. The fly- 
ing column under General Wheaton started the campaign against the 
insurgents on the morning of the 13th. 

A lieutenant of Scott's battery fired the signal gun at five minutes 
of seven o'clock, and at once the Fourth cavalry, mounted, swung for- 
ward. Then all the infantry regiments, formed in three lines, left their 
trenches and moved on the enemy. It was a beautiful sight, this clock- 
like regularity of the advance. The cavalry met a heavj^ fire on the 
right. They dismounted driving the enemy out of their intrenchments 

General Wheaton attacked and defeated a force of 3,000 Filipinos at 
Pasig in the afternoon of the 15th, inflicting a heavy loss upon them. 
The American loss was slight. The Americans captured many Filipinos. 
Many bodies of rebels killed in the engagement were seen floating down 
the river. The Washington volunteers captured and burned Pateros, 
meeting with a sharp fire from the enemy while crossing the river. 
The day's fighting was like that of the preceding week, the insurgents 
occasionally making a stand, but eventually fleeing. 



502 FROM THE CIVIL WAR TO THE PRESENT TIME. 

Malolos, the insurgent capital, was captured on the morning of 
March 31st, by the American troops, after a hot fight. Shortl}' before 
3 o'clock the army began its cautious advance, meeting almost immedi- 
ately with a heav}' fire on the right. The troops advanced regardles 
of the rain of bullets, driving the insurgents from their trenches into the 
thickets. The army then advanced two miles and discovered an insur- 
gent outpost strongly intrenched. The natives came forward flj'iug a 
white flag, and asked for mercy. The}^ assured our troops that the}^ 
were unarmed, but when thej' returned to their trenches they immedi- 
ately opened a sharp fire on our lines, which was soon silenced. Major- 
General MacArthur entered Malolos, the seat of the so-called insurgent 
government, at half-past nine in the morning, the rebels burning the 
city and simultaneously evacuating it. 

BRAVERY OF THE -CITIZEN SOLDIERS. 

The service of our troops in the Philippines was such as to cause 
every American heart to swell with pride. There was not one act of 
cowardice, nor a step of retreat, and good generalship was siipported by 
a soldierj- whose coiirage, patience and fighting would make the honor 
page of any country stand more gloriously forth in its historj'. The 
campaign in the East had, however, peculiar qualities which commended 
those engaged in it to the hearts of their countrj^men. It was fought 
chiefly by the citizen soldiers, the regiments of the National Guard, 
not one of whom had until within a few months seen a shot fired in 
battle, and they all conducted themselves with the precision of regular 
troops and of veterans. 

The next event of importance in the Philippines after the downfall 
of Malolos was the capture of Santa Cruz, on Laguna de Bay, by General 
Lawton's forces on the morning of April loth. This was done after a 
sharp engagement with the rebel defenders, who were commanded by 
Pac-Wah, a Chinaman. A considerable body of Filipinos fled northward 
over the open marshes, but the Gatliugs poured upon them a deadl}' 
hail. Major Weisenberger deployed the sharpshooters along the shore 



FROM THE CIVIL WAR TO THE PRESENT TIME. * 503 

and they crept steadily forward, aiding the Catlings. Finally a large 
body was sent against the enemy, driving them into the mountains. 
General Lawton promptly established headquarters at the fine palace of 
the governor. 

A furious battle was fought by the Americans and Filipinos on 
April 23d, 1899. The scene of the battle was Quingan, five miles 
from Malolos. The Filipinos sent canoe loads of soldiers down the 
river. These landed on both the right and the left side of the American 
soldiers, surrounding them on three sides. They were forced back, but 
fought hard for every inch of ground they gave to the rebels. The 
Americans advanced, assisted by the shells from the artillery, broke the 
resistance of the insurgents, and after fighting several hours they were 
driven from Quingan. The village was occupied by the Americans. 
During this engagement Colonel Stotsenberg, commanding the Nebraska 
volunteers, fell at the head of his regiment, pierced through the heart 
by a bullet. He was a brilliant officer and died greatly lamented. 

RECORD OF A DARING EXPLOIT. 

The most brilliant exploit and one of the greatest American victories 
in the battles around Manila occurred on April 27th, 1899. The 
taking of the bridge over the Rio Grande at Calumpit was a deed of 
astonishing daring. It was the most strongly defended position held by 
the insurgents. Located on the north shore of the Rio Grande, opposite 
Calumpit, it was the most valuable strategic point in Luzon. The fact 
that it was guarded by the most trustworthy and best disciplined regi- 
ments of General Aguinaldo made the feat more noteworthy. Army 
officers said the daring displayed by the American troops was almost 
unparalleled in the annals of modern warfare. 

It was a notable day for the Twentieth Regiment of Kansas volun- 
teers, commanded by Colonel Funston, who crossed the river on a raft 
with about twenty men. Close behind him came two more rafts on which 
were thirty men. The appearance of this number revealed to the main 
forces of the Filipinos the daring trick which had been practiced upon 



504 FROM THE CIVIL WAR TO THE PRESENT TIME. 

them. Immediately they directed a wild fire toward the rafts. Tt was 
iucfFective. As soon as Colonel Fnnston reached the opposite shore with 
his fifty men he rnshed down to the small stream which empties into the 
Rio Grande about 300 yards from the railroad bridge. His men were 
yelling and pouring a terrific enfilading fire into the main trenches of the 
insurgents across the small stream. 

The Filipinos became panic stricken and there was a hast}' stam- 
pede. When Colonel Funston saw them running he searched for some 
place to cross, and in so doing got under the fire from several hundred 
insurgents who had retreated some distance from the smaller stream. 
A Maxim gun, manned by our troops, opened on them from a different 
direction, and this fire compelled them to retire. When the Maxim 
ceased the Filipinos returned. Finally Colonel Funston found a small 
boat, and, with Captain Orwig and eight men crossed the small river, 
and with this handful of volunteers charged straight into the lieavj'^ 
trenches held by the Filipinos. They chased the insurgents out of their 
protected position, and by the time Colonel Funston reached the railroad 
the Kansas and Montana troops began creeping across the bridge. 

KANSAS AND NEBRASKA REGIMENTS. 

It was thought the insurgents had fled. The}- were noticed, how- 
ever, in a big field to the rear of their intrenchment forming a long 
skirmish line. Several hundred of them prepared to advance. They 
appeared greatly demoralized, however. The generals on horses galloped 
wildly back and forth endeavoring to restore order. They finallj' got 
the Filipinos into fairly good order as a skirmish line. The generals 
could be seen by the Americans urging their men to advance. As the 
line moved forward the Kansas regiment opened fire from the position 
on the north bank of the Rio Grande. The insurgents broke again. 

The advance had just begun when General Wheaton, who crossed 
the bridge among the first troops who had gone over under the cover of 
Colonel Funston' s men, ordered all available troops to attack the flying- 
insurgents. As they retreated the Kansas and Montana regiments fol- 



FROM THE CIVIL WAR TO THE PRESENT TIME. 505 

lowed them, while Colonel Funstou ordered the Nebraska and the 
Sonth Dakota regiments to cross the bridge and follow the soldiers from 
Kansas and Montana in the chase. 

Then followed a long running fight. The insurgents endeavored to 
reach Minalin, the next station on the railroad. The locomotives were 
visible there with steam up. Some of the Filipinos succeeded in reach- 
ing this train, which steamed rapidly north. About thirty who were 
unable to get on the train advanced to the American lines under a flag 
of truce and surrendered. Many escaped through the woods. 

REBELS ESCAPE TO THE S\A^AMP. 

Aspalit, the next station, was set on fire by the insurgents and was 
burned. The Filipinos had evacuated the town before our troops reached 
it. A great many of the rebels escaped to the great swamp which lies 
to the west. Others fled for the mountains to the east. Many arms 
were captured, and a great quantity of ammunition, left by the insurg- 
ents in their panic, was found in the trenches and was appropriated by 
the American troops. 

With a superb military and civil demonstration which drew a vast 
concourse of people to Washington, President McKinley was inaugu- 
rated the second time on March 4th, 1901. No pageant on so grand a 
scale ever before attended any inauguration. Hon. Theodore Roosevelt 
took the oath of ofl&ce as vice-president. 

On Thursday, March 28th, General Emilio Aguinaldo was captured. 
General Frederick Funston, having learned of Aguinaldo's whereabouts, 
took a detachment of American soldiers and natives, and in due time 
arrived at the village where Aguinaldo was concealed. The Tagalas went 
ahead to greet General Aguinaldo, and the column slowly followed, 
finally arriving at Palanan. 

General Aguinaldo' s household troops, fifty men in neat uniforms 
of blue and white and wearing straw hats, lined up to receive the new- 
comers. General Funston's men crossed the river in small boats, formed 
on the bank, and marched to the right and then in front of the insurgent 



506 FROM THE CIVIL WAR TO THE PRESENT TIME. 

granadiers. The Tagalas catered the house where Geueral Aguinaldo 
was. Suddenly the Spanish officer, noticing that General Aguinaldo's 
aide was watching the Americans suspiciously, exclaimed: "Now, 
Macabebes, go for them !" The Macabebes opened fire, but their aim 
was rather ineffective, and only three insurgents were killed. The rebels 
returned the fire. 

On hearing the firing. General Aguinaldo, who evidently thought 
his men were merely celebrating the arrival of reinforcements, ran to 
the window and shouted : '' Stop that foolishness ! Quit wasting 
ammunition ! " 

Hilario Placido, one of the Tagalag officers and a former insurgent 
major, who was wounded in the lung by the fire of the Kansas regiment 
at the battle of Caloocau, threw his arms around General Aguinaldo, 
exclaiming : " You are a prisoner of the Americans." 

Colonel Simeon Villia, the rebel chief of staff, Major Alambra and 
others attacked the men who were holding General Aguinaldo. Hilario 
Placido shot Colonel Villia in the shoulder. Major Alambra jumped 
out of the window and attempted to cross the river. It is supposed that 
he w^as drowned. Five other insurgent officers fought for a few minutes 
and then fled, making their escape. When the firing began General 
Funston assumed command and directed the attack on the house, 
personally assisting in the capture of General Aguinaldo. The famous 
rebel chief was now shorn of his power. 

ASSASSINATION OF PRESIDENT McKINLEY. 

President McKinley, the third chief magistrate of the United States 
to be assassinated, was shot twice by an anarchist on September 6, 1901. 
The man gave his name as Leon Czolgosz. His parents were foreigners, 
but he was born in the United States. The wounds were inflicted by a 
32-calibre revolver. 

The shooting occurred in the Temple of Music of the Pan-American 
Exposition at Buflfalo. It had been planned in the most cold-blooded 
manner. An organ recital had just been given. Surrounded by thou- 



FROM THE CIVIL WAR TO THE PRESENT TIME. 507 

sauds, with the plaudits of the admiring multitude ringing in his ears, 
the president was shaking hands with those who pressed around him. 

Secret service men and local detectives had been watching a man 
whose actions had aroused their suspicions. He shook hands with the 
president, and passed on. The next man inline had his right hand con- 
cealed in a sling. While he was grasping the president's hand with his left, 
two shots suddenly' rang out, and Mr. McKinley staggered back into the 
arms of bystanders. The sling had concealed a revolver, and the weapon 
had been discharged while almost touching the president's body. 

THE PRESIDENT'S DEATH WOUNDS. 

One ball entered Mr. McKinley's breast and glanced off, inflicting 
only a flesh wound. It was extracted. The other entered the abdomen 
and perforated the walls of the stomach. The surgeons cut for this 
bullet, but were unable to find it. 

A wave of popular grief and consternation swept over the country 
at the news. Of all the public men in our country, William McKinley 
was the one against whom no one seemed to have resentment. Unlike 
the assassination, of President Lincoln in 1865, which came at the close 
of a long civil war, or the fatal shooting of President Garfield, in 1881, 
which grew out of bitter political strife, the attempt on Mr. McKinley's 
life came in the midst of an era of good feeling. Hence the shock was 
profound. 

The murderer narrowly escaped lynching. He was beaten and buf- 
feted by the crowd, and the Buff"alo police had difficulty getting him in 
safety to his cell. So excited did the crowds that thronged Buffalo's 
streets become that for a time the authorities were contemplating calling 
out the militia. The whole civilized world united in angry condemnation 
of the horrible deed, and from all the governments came messages of 
sympathy for the illustrious victim and of execration on the head of the 
cowardly murderer. , 

For nearly a week strong hopes were entertained of Mr. McKinley's 
recovery. One bullet was extracted but the other could not be found. 



508* FROM THE CIVIL WAR TO THE PRESENT TIME. 

The liii^h hopes were suddenly blasted and one week from the day of the 
shooting- the president suffered a relapse which ended in death on the 
morning of September 14th. 

Obsequies of the most sorrowful and imposing character followed in 
Buffalo, in Washington, and at Canton, Ohio, where the body was 
interred. Members of the cabinet and a host of other celebrities testified 
by their presence their respect for Mr. McKiuley and their admiration 
for his noble virtues and exalted character. 

Vice-President Roosevelt took the oath of office as president. 

The assassin was convicted of murder in the first degree, and was 
electrocuted at Auburn penitentiary, on Tuesday, the twenty-ninth of 
October, 1901. He made no confession implicating others in his foul 
plot. His bod}' was destroyed b}' chemicals. 

GLOWING TRIBUTES TO THE MARTYRED PRESIDENT. 

From the great number of magnificent tributes to Mr. McKinley 
we have selected such as best express our countrj'^'s admiration of his 
grand qualities as a man, a citizen and President. 

Bishop Whitaker issued the following letter to the clergy of his 
diocese, instructing them to hold a memorial service for the late President. 

'' To the Clergv of the Diocese of Pennsvlvania. Dear brethern : 
In accordance with the proclamation of the President of the United 
States, I recommend that the several congregations of the diocese hold a 
memorial service to our late beloved President in their respective 
churches, on Thursday, September 19, at 11 o'clock A. ^L A form of 
senice will be sent to you later. The hymns suggested seem most 
appropriate, but you may substitute others in your discretion." 

EVEN AS A CHILD. 

Even as a child to whom sad neighbors speak, 
In a symbol, saying tkat his father "sleeps" — 

Who feels their meaning, even as his cheek 

Feels the first teardrop as it stings and leaps — 



FROM THE CIVIL WAR TO THE PRESENT TIME. 



509 



Who keenly knows his loss, and yet denies 

Its awful import — grieves unreconciled. 
Moans, drowses, rouses, with new-drowning eyes — 

Even as a child. 
Even as a child ; with empty, aimless hand 

Clasped sudden to the heart all hope deserts — 
With tears that blur all lights on sea or land — 

The lip that quivers and the throat that hurts — 
Even so, the nation that has known his love 

Is orphaned now ; and, whelmed in anguish wild. 
Knows but its sorrow and the ache thereof, 

Even as a child. James Whitcomb Riley 

A NATION IN SORROW. 

Nation bright with the sunrise glow — 

Full of the century's throbbing — 
Why do you bow your head so low? 

Why do we hear you sobbing ? 
Death has climbed to my highest place, 
And tears of a people are no disgrace ; 
Sorrow is better told than kept ; 
And grief is holy, for God has wept. 

Nation with banner of oldest birth. 

Stars to the high stars sweeping, 
Why have you not a flag on earth 

But to the half-mast creeping ? 
Many a brave man had to die 
To hold those colors against the sky ; 
Agonies such as this reveal 
That every banner to Heaven must kneel. 

Nation with tasks that might appal 

Planets of weak endeavor, 
Why did the best man of you all 

Sail from your shores forever? 



51J FROM THE CIVIL WAR TO THK PRESENT TIME. 

Not forever, and not from sight. 
But nearer to God's sweet, kindly light; 
Through the mists to a stormy sea. 
Where all the heroes of ages be. 
Nation with weapons fierce and grim. 

Sharpen with rage your sadness ; 
Tear the murderer limb from limb — 

Torture him into madness ! 
No ! I have Heaven too much in awe 
The law to avenge with lack of law ; 
Take we the soul from its tainted clod. 
And lay it down at the feet of God. 
Nation whose love for home ne'er dies, 

Cruel the clouds that hover ! 
What do you say when a woman cries, 

" Give me my husband lover ? " 
Sad heart, carry the grievous wrong. 
In Faith's own arms ; it will not be long, 
Here, and in lands you never knew. 
He more than ever will comfort you. 
N.ition of many tribes and lands — 

Strength of the world's best nations. 
Say ! would a million murderous hands 

Crumble your deep foundations ? 
Never I No poison e'er can blight 
The flowers and fruitage of Truth and Right ; 
Never ! the land that the tyrant fears 
Shall live in splendor a thousand years. 

Will Carleton. 
MOURNED BY EVERY AMERICAN. 
He was the Head of the Nation, he fell in its service, the base hand 
that took his life struck dead the hostility- in even- feeling heart that 
harbored it, and he passes to the peace of the grave mourned not by such 
as were his friends, only, but by all who bear the American name. 

S.\MUEL L. Clemens (Mark Twain). 



FROM THE CIVIL WAR TO THE PRESENT TIME. 5n 

Passing through Washington on my way to Florida, I called to pay 
ray respects to President McKinley. This was just at the time when 
strained relations were tightening their grip upon America and Spain. 
The President spoke of these, but expressed a hope that serious trouhle 
might be avoided. I told him that I traveled much, and that I gleaned 
I'rom the expressions of wise and thoughtful men that the country did 
not want war. He replied, " I am glad to hear it." This was before the 
destruction of the " Maine." I have met him several times since, and 
to me his views seemed broad and liberal. 

I was never more shocked than when the terrible news of the assas- 
ination was brought to me ; our household was in a fever of excitement, 
our very domestics in tears ; and now, that the worst has come, a home 
made desolate and a nation plunged in sorrow, we can only hope that 
time may soften the blow, and that wise legislation may place a barrier 
that will forever prevent the re-occurrence of such an act. 

JOSKPH JHFFERSON. 
AT THE EXPOSITION. 
The devil's best tools 
Are the fingers of fools. 
All pious, good people, 
Who live in a steeple, 
Over spire and gilt vane 
Whirling round, round again 
Like joy behind sorrow or ease after pain. 
But the worst, most accursed. 
Is prim and sedate 
He stands up straight. 
So lowly elate. 
But creeps through the gate 
Into rooms of the great. 
And cowers in the chamber of State. 
Let him learn, if he can 
The first lesson of Man, 
The last, for he must. 
He shall learn, and discern 
The fire of live coals in our um. 

Richard Henry Stoddard. 



512 FROM THE CIVIL WAR TO THE PRESENT TIME. 

A PATRIOT OF THE NOBLEST TYPE. 

William McKinley, like .some wlio went before him, dies a martyr 
to republican institutions. It was for those institutions that our fathers 
fought and died in two great wars. And the President of this Republic 
represents those institutions more than any other man. 

The nation had been gradually making up its mind abom. \Villiam 
McKinley. But now that he has gone from our midst, we realize suddenly 
that he possessed many of those qualities, the value of which is inestimable 
in his situation. 

He was first of all a patriot of the noblest type. For he had the 

good of his country nearest his heart. He never sought to exalt himself 

at the expense of his country. Rather he sought to efface himself in 

his submission to the desires of the people. He was willing to hear and 

heed the opinions of the humblest citizen. 

Winston Churchill. 

The Fift3?-seventh Congress convened on December 2d, and David 
B. Henderson, of Iowa, was re-elected Speaker of the House, receiving 
190 votes to 129 for James D. Richardson, of Tennessee. The message 
of President Roosevelt, which was favorably received by the country 
at large, was read to both branches of Congress on December 3d, 1901. 
REPORT OF THE SCHLEY COURT OF INQUIRY. 

Owing to grave criticisms upon his conduct before and during the 
naval battle of Santiago, Admiral Schley requested that a court of inquiry 
hear testimony and render a decision upon the charges that had been 
made. The report of the court was made public December 13th. It 
criticized Admiral Schley on everj' charge except that of cowardice. 
Admiral Dewey filed a supplementary report, objecting to a portion of the 
verdict, adding that Schley was in chief command and entitled to credit 
for the victory. 

Postmaster General Charles Emorj^ Smith resigned, and Henry C. 
Payne, of Wisconsin, became his successor, December 17th. Secretary 
of the Treasury Gage resigned December 20th, and was succeeded by 
Leslie M. Shaw, of Iowa, a well-known financier. 



II 



